


A bird from hell

by Llixale



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Demons, Light Angst, M/M, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-16
Updated: 2020-04-28
Packaged: 2020-12-17 14:23:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 16
Words: 53,787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21055865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Llixale/pseuds/Llixale
Summary: ”Unless you want to fight fire with fire, I don’t think so” Bucky answered, looking back at his boyfriend. This face got them in way too many troubles. ”Don’t look at me like that, Steve”. He knew he should have kept his mouth shut.The one with a demon





	1. The contract

Steve was in a sour mood. He has been like this for a little more than a week already and Bucky couldn't make him admit it. “_I’m fine_” he would always answer, frustrating his partner.

Bucky remembered the time he, himself, wasn’t prone to communicate adequately about his feelings. _How the tables have turned,_ he told himself after another round of denying.

He wondered what could make Steve this tense but the last mission was a success and, last time he checked, there was no “bad news” looming over them. He thought they were working great, as Avengers and even better as significant others so, he hoped it wasn’t related to that.

Finally, on that day, the explanation came from Wanda when he heard a conversation between her and his boyfriend. She was proposing Steve to come with her to visit him after this morning training session.

Who was the ”him” in question? At first, he thought she talked about her brother, Pietro, but Steve got angry so quick that it could not be that. He said that ”_he_”, whoever that he was, wasn’t dead so there was no need for ”_that stupid grave_”.

_Ah._

_Sam._

It’s been four years since the fight against Thanos. Four years since the blip.

Except for Sam.

No one knew why but from what they could gather, a handful of people weren’t brought back all over the universe. Banner, who had been the one doing the reverse-snap, felt guilty to this day. Of course, everyone told him that he did more than anyone could have done considering the parameters but still…

Steve, who just lost Natasha at the time, wanted them to use the stones again to bring both of them back but it didn’t work.

It did not work no matter how many times and who tried it.

Steve was convinced that Sam was alive and no one could tell him otherwise.

“_We can’t bring him back from the dead because he isn’t dead!_”

Bucky leant to avoid that conversation because Steve always looked at him as if he dared him to say something when Bucky himself was a living proof of his flawless logic. They definitely had some arguments about Sam’s possible death before.

To be honest, Bucky had been a bit scared of Steve being the one tasked to bring back the stones. He scared them when he didn’t come back at the end of the countdown but a few seconds later, he was back, shaken, but apparently well.

He had asked Bucky to stay with him and he accepted. Where would Bucky go if not with Steve, after all that happened? They tried to relink their previous friendship but both of them were different enough to know it would not work that way. They acknowledged the change and chose another path.

It was different.

Maybe even better. They were together now. Something Bucky never dreamt about but welcomed anyway.

Truth to be told, Bucky felt guilty about forgetting that it was Sam’s birthday today.

Sam, Bucky thought, had been an interesting person, from what he had seen. They started rough but when it was time for them to team up, they did. And when Steve came to visit, Sam came with him and he definitely was...fun. Annoying (purposely), but fun. A guy who would fight for a brainwashed assassin and help get him familiar with this century, besides being a friend with Steve, had to be a great guy.

Sam’s birthday was today, an information Bucky learned too late for his tastes.

”_Stevie, come on, Wanda was right. Let’s do something to celebrate him. Go feed the pigeons, ask Shuri how to build another Redwing; gosh that thing was possessed or something_”

Steve looked at him, not amused at all. His face didn't change when Bucky slided a hand on his arm, titled his head, pursed his lips “_I want to celebrate, we own him that_”

”_Okay, okay!_” Steve accepted, visibly uneasy “_maybe we could...I don’t know, there was this place he liked...I am not sure it still open but..._”

”_Yeah. Let’s do this_”

Bucky slid a soft kiss on Steve's lips to help him relax.

It would have worked just fine if they hadn't needed to hurry for the next mission’s preparation.

They really thought it would be a come and go type a mission. Really, they did believe it.

And now, Strange and Wanda were used as magical battery for a town replacing his inhabitant's souls by demons.

They underestimated how many demons were already there and how many humans were complicit in the project.

”_The only two of us able to use magic are captured and we can’t fight them with our weapons. We are screwed_” Bucky hissed, locking themselves in what looked like the mayor’s office.

It looked strangely normal for the office of someone as evil as he was.

”_There’s got to be a way_,” Steve said, pressing a hand on the wound on his arm. Demons tended to have sharp claws.

”_Well, there’s a lot of books about demonology here. Everything we need to conjure one but nothing about banishing them? What the hell?! We won’t have the time to read them all_”

”_Can’t we use that?_” He asked, pointing at the relatively thin book (more of a journal maybe) in Bucky’s hand.

”_Unless you want to fight fire with fire, I don’t think so_” Bucky answered, looking back at his boyfriend. This face got them in way too many troubles. ”_Don’t look at me like that, Steve_”. He knew he should have kept his mouth shut.

”_What? There’s at least fifty of them outside and maybe we can just use one demon to distract them enough to rescue our friends?_”

Bucky laughed ”_You can’t be serious_”

”_Once they drain them, what is going to happen? We need something, now_”

_Steve must have lost his mind_, Bucky thought as the blond took the book in his hand and started to quickly study it until he showed a double page to him. It didn't seem that different from following a recipe, if a recipe was about making a symbol on the ground acting as a gate, pour blood on the ground to link the demon to them and say a few words to specify what kind of demon they wished for.

It was easy on paper but a symbol badly drawn or words a bit too vague and you got yourself a flesh-eating demon that you wouldn’t be able to send back, well, if a demon answered your call in the first place. At least, this is what someone added as a note on a small paper. _How nice_.

Steve, already looking for something to draw the ”door”, tried to convince Bucky that all he had to do was let him draw the gate, give both of their blood to be sure to be safe and only orders it to protect them, nothing more. Then, Strange would be able to send the demon back and all would be well.

Bucky knew Steve’s bullshit and he secretly hoped it would not work instead. There was no way you could bring back to earth a real demon that easily. Right? However, he had nothing better to propose so ”_There’s this black sharpie if you want_” is what he finds himself saying reluctantly a few seconds later.

Steve worked fast under the sound of the enemy trying to open the door. A large bookcase seemed to be enough for now but they knew it was temporary and judging by how things were going, they had five or six minutes at best.

”_Ok_” Steve finally said after having drawn on the beige and brown linoleum a complicated circle with arabesques and symbols inside.

Who knew his talent for drawing would be useful during a mission?

“_Something is weird_” Bucky commented, looking at the symbol. He could swear the lines were thicker than what Steve just made.

He grabbed the Captain to look at it and sure things, the drawing was already changing, getting larger and neater before starting to move, golden energy flowing softly on the lines.

“_Is this supposed to do that?_” Bucky asked, grabbing the journal and reading again. He wasn’t panicking. He was totally fine with dark sided prayers.

“_Guess so. Now the blood_”

Bucky rolled his eyes but mirrored Steve anyway and opened slightly his left palm to allow some blood to come.

“_Ready? Go!_”

They both applied their hand on the circle at the same time and for three seconds, they got stuck.

“_STEVE!_” Bucky screamed, the door starting to really give up as humans and demons tried to reach inside.

“_We need to say what we want_” he ordered, quickly giving is own grocery list. He wanted a protector, something to help them.

“_Sam, If you can hear us from hell, send us one of your pigeons please?_”

“_SAM ISN’T DEAD. And he would send a Falcon not a pigeon_”

“_Oh yeah, a Falcon from hell, that would be..._”

The blood, all black for some reason the seconds it touched the circle, seemed to cover the entirety of it, finally allowing them to take their hand back.

The door gave up and the enemies quickly made their way in, led by the mayor himself, face distorted by his fury only to stop at the boiling pool of black and gold goo.

“_What have you done?_”

“_Demon, can you come? Please?_ ” Steve demanded loudly, hoping that it would do something. “_Now would be a good time_”

The mayor spotted the journal in their hand and his face went even redder.

“_YOU ARE BOTH DEAD_”

None of his minions dared to move thought, too focused on the invocation circle suddenly vibrating. It was strong enough to make the small objects in the room fall around them.

Something was very well coming through it and that something looked like the blackest bird Steve and Bucky ever seen. It spread its wings briefly, revealing some gold feathers as well.

It didn’t seem to have eyes but had two tiny golden protuberances on its head. Looked like horns.

“_A bird?”_ The mayor asked, taking a step back.

Bucky recognized his movement as fear and wondered with would they fear a bird.

Also.

“_It worked?_” He asked Steve.

“_Hey, birdie?!_” Steve tried softly, only to have the birds scream. In the blink of an eye and some black smoke, there was a humanoid creature right in front of them.

It was taller than Steve and Bucky, brown skin laced with black and gold in a pattern reminiscent of the portal Steve drew earlier.

About the portal, it had disappeared sometime between the bird apparition and its transformation. Bucky had the vivid memory of Steve’s mother outside of a church, then. She had a lot of faith and he was certain that if she could see what her own son was doing right now, she would die again.

The man (?) wore some kind of black linen shorts, revealing powerful legs and a waistcoat.

It had long black braids and when it turned to look at everyone, they could see that the whole upper part of his face was covered by black skin hiding his eyes. Like the rest of his body, the weird tattoo covered the rest of his face and neck.

It’s lips looked human if not for the colour, dark brown and gold.

Also, it did have two short gold horns on each side of its forehead. Exactly like the bird.

”_So,_ ” it said, voice unnatural sounding, almost as if it had some after effect added to it in real time, ”_This is where you all went?_”

At first, it wasn’t exactly clear who he was addressing but judging by the way the demons looked at each other, it may have been to his compatriots.

”_Demon!_” the mayor called ”_I, Richard Cox, command you to kill them! They are your enemy_”

The mayor pointed to Steve and Bucky who braced themselves for the fight. To every human’s surprise, the demon ignored him.

”_Seriously? You all are following this guy? Weak, you are all weak_”

Steve and Bucky, almost had the same reaction at the same time, taking a step back.

”_You got here the same way as us! You are no better_” one of them said, gathering some approving sounds ”_and look who got you!_”

It turned, once again, to the two supersoldiers.

”_About that, which one of you, pale skins, brought me here?_”

They looked at each other and Steve answered that they both did, using both of their blood.

”_And who exactly are you?_” the demon asked then ”_because I am not helping some punk ass bitch with delusion of grandeur_”

Both of them were taken aback while the mayor made a tiny offended noise.

Bucky noticed , once again, how tense the others were, he wondered why they were not attacking already. He couldn't judge how powerful this demon was compared to the others. One thing was clear however, they were waiting.

Maybe the mayor expected the demon to turn on them and get rid of his problem?

”_I am Steve Rogers and this is James Barnes_”

”_Okay_” the demon said unbothered ”_so?_”

”_So we need your help to save our friends and send the others demons back to hell I guess_”

The demon looked at the other of his kind then back at Steve and Bucky ”_Do you know how this work?_” he gestured between them, his hand had some major claws too.

When the two of them did not know answer, he groaned ”_In exchange for my help, I’ll get your souls when you die and every soul that you take while I’m here are mine too_”

”_They are heroes_” the mayor interjected”_You won’t have the time to get much from their soul_!”

The demon snarled ”_HEROES?!_”

”_Well, we try to make the world a better place_” Steve defended.

”_What do you care what we do?_” Bucky cut. “_Are you going to help us or na?_”

”_What he means..._” Steve tried, elbowing his boyfriend “_is that we are honoured to collaborate with you_”

The demon laughed ”_This is going to be so funny, consider the contract accepted_”

The demon moved to grab the closest person to him, a possessed human that did not have any space to move out of reach.

A clawed hand closed around his throat and his face was brought right in front of the black demon.

He started to inhale through his mouth and the other one tried to escape whatever he was doing, unsuccessfully.

If they focused, the two supersoldiers could see some sort of gold dust going from the victim toward the demon they called. After a few seconds, the human body looked like old grape and it was evident that the demon absorbed his vital energy.

It started to change, black and gold feathers covering the top half of his face from its nose to its neck in the back, seemingly previously hidden underneath the skin

They covered its forearms to his elbows too and some sort of wings sprouted from his back. They weren’t like bird's wings, more like individuals feathers separated by an invisible energy, once again reminiscent of the invocation circle in the pattern they were revealing.

He took one of the golden ones from its forearms and it grew and changed just enough to look like a weapon.

Nobody had to wait long to check if it was dangerous or not. When he slashed two persons with one movement, it became clear that whoever he would get its claws on would die.

Some demons tried to run, others to fight, they all ended up dead anyway.

The whole hallway was filled with bodies and blood. The only left living were Steve, Bucky and the mayor on this side of the city hall.

”_What did you do?_” the mayor breathed, incredulous ”_You can’t control it..._”

Honestly, the other two were coming to the same conclusion.

”_First of all, don’t use ”it”, I’m not a thing, I’m a guy_” The demon said from where he was ”_Secondly, of course, they do not control me, I am not some kind of pet_”

”_You have to send it back, now!_” the mayor urged.

The demon floated toward him ”_Not it, I said. If you can’ properly listen maybe I should cut your ears, obviously they are of no use to you_” he threatened.

The mayor jumped to hide behind Captain America, which was not successful because Steve did not move one bit to let him access the secured place.

”_Do you have a name?_” Steve asked with no trace of fear in his voice.

The demon tilted his head ”_You can call me Mason_”

”Okay, _Mason, can you help us rescue our friends? They are being held prisoner somewhere here. Without killing him_” Steve added hesitantly.

Mason huffed “_Fine, but give me food after because I am famished_”. He may not have eyes, at least any that were visible but the three other men were sure he addressed the mayor when he added ”_You will not like me when I can’t control my hunger_”

The mayor tried to hide under his desk but Bucky grabbed him and pushed him forward to lead the way.

Mason changed back into his bird form, if that could really pass for a bird, flying to Bucky’s head and insisting to land on it despite Bucky initially trying to shoo him away. Finally, because they needed to hurry, he gave up with a huff.

“_Act a fool and I’ll roast you_”

The demon laughed, his voice even more strange than in his more humanoid form.


	2. Birthday boy

The mayor led them to one of the underground floors of a giant bunker. Right in, they could see at least six magical pods in the center of the lowest floor. Half of them were occupied. Two were by Strange and Wanda, the last one, by a woman they did not know.

More than twenty men and demon were protecting the installation and Bucky felt something on its head as the demon-bird perched himself there and talked “_If you behave, I won’t send you back to where you came from...” _then, adding a dramatic wing movement “_today_”

The humans laughed it off but the demons knew better apparently, this time around, walking slowly away.

The mayor ordered to free the prisoners and he still had enough authority for them to obey. Maybe the shield and the metal arm helped the humans remember that they were not immune to conventional means of harm.

Steve and Bucky gave a quick update to their newly awake teammates. They were feeling fine enough to judge them, especially the Sorcerer Supreme, when they explained that the demon on Bucky’s head was here because they brought it from hell.

Mason was apparently shy now and did not want to say a word in front of the other two.

Wanda suggested that the mayor send back the remaining demons he got here. The culprit tried to explain that he could not do that but Mason stretched his wings and he changed his tune quickly.

The spell to send everyone back was ambitious but necessary as the mayor brought almost a hundred demons already.

By the end of it, the police, helped by Shield agents, were cleaning the rest of the town. Everyone was investigated to check who knew what and who was complicit in the whole scheme. By the look of it, they’ll have to lock up the whole town, teenagers included.

Right before walking back to their car, Doctor Strange stopped Steve and Bucky.

”_Ahem, and about this one?_” he asked, looking at the bird on Bucky’s shoulder.

”_We should send him back, right?_” Bucky answered, earning him a loud protestation noise right in his ear.

Steve seemed more intrigued and curious ”_Maybe we can keep him and see what he does? If he is too dangerous we send him back to hell but, Buck, we both had a hand in bringing him here, could we really attract something evil?_”

”_This is one stupid argument_” Stephen answered without gloves “_This isn't a stray cat_”

”_I am not an animal_” Mason finally spoke ”_and actually, you can’t send me back because of our contract_”

Stephen’s hands were glowing, apparently not happy about the answer or the fact that the demon talked. Maybe it was a combination of the two.

He did complicated hands movement and talked in a language neither Bucky not Steve understood but Mason did laugh.

”_I told you, I cannot be banished_”

”_I’m sure I’ll find a way_” threatened the Doctor without humor.

They looked at each other for a few seconds then Mason decided to leave, flying too high in the clouded sky for any of them to spot.

”_You are completely out of your mind. Linking a demon to your souls?! You know nothing about him!_”

”_Well, we did not have a better plan at that moment_,” Steve said to defend them both ”_and we got to you before you got changed into a permanent magical battery so I think this is a success_”

Strange scoffed “_I heard of your impulsiveness Captain but truly, this is a new low_. _What if this thing eat people? What if he can take over your bodies? What if...?!_”

He stopped mid-sentence while the other men gaped, eyes wild open as he brought a finger to his hair before he looked at the khaki and white substance on it.

He looked to the sky, eyes narrowed and cold anger palpable.

Bucky did not want to laugh but when Mason appeared a few seconds later and re-assumed his position on Bucky’s shoulder, he could not stop himself any longer and erupted shamelessly.

Steve, face entirely red, tried to cough to cover the sound of his own laugh, unsuccessfully.

”_Will you behave and not kill people unless eventually asked if you come with us?_” Steve proposed then, looking at the infernal bird. He had no illusion about what they did and what would happen with a demon by their side.

Stephen was losing patience “_It’s a demon, his words mean nothing_”

It wasn’t that the two super soldiers trusted the demon, Stephen was right about that, but what were they supposed to do anyway? For now, they’ll just have to keep an eye on it.

To compromise, Steve and Bucky accepted to go back to the Avengers HQ for now and stay in the magically protected area.

There wasn’t one before Strange decided to annex a part on the fifth floor, the one they had an (rarely used) apartment on, and put runes and spells all over it. Once inside, the demon would not be able to leave until Strange decided to.

After a few minutes of hex and enchantments, he was proud of himself and left the three of them alone. Wanda just raised an eyebrow and followed him. The poor Sorcerer was unaware of Mason’s mocking him each time the man turned his back to him but the cape made a weird movement once that strangely looked like he was flipping him the bird.

Once alone, Mason started to spoke again, “_He is a jerk_”.

“_He reminds me of Stark in a way_” Bucky commented, far from disagreeing with the demon.

“_Well, he doesn’t want us to be found murdered in our sleep, can we blame him?_” Steve asked. He walked in the apartment and started to peel off his suit.

“_Oh, giving us a little show?_” Mason cooed, suddenly in his humanoid form, back to the wall closest to the kitchen.

Steve stopped, blinked, and looked at Bucky.

“_How do you see? You don’t even have eyes_” Bucky's curiosity was stronger than any prudence he should have right now.

“_How rude, you can’t just ask every guy how they see without visible eyes_” Mason answered immediately in mock offense.

For some reasons, Steve felt a familiar sensation he could not quite place. Maybe the day had been more tiring than he initially thought, “_I think I’m going to finish in the bathroom and then go to sleep_”

Steve out of the room, Bucky turned to Mason, taking a moment to look at him. He waited for his senses to catch up, to make him feel on edge, to do anything that happened naturally when he was facing an enemy, yet, nothing came other than annoyance and curiosity.

Mason had his head turned to where Steve disappeared ”_What’s wrong with him?_”. The change is Steve’s behavior wasn’t subtle and clearly, he said or did something that rubbed him the wrong way. Was it about him taking off his clothes?

”_Today’s...it’s just not a good day_”

”_Why?_” he questioned, sounding like he genuinely wanted to have an answer.

Bucky wondered if demons could care. Strange said that they were all bad and stuff but it couldn't be true, at least, he believed it couldn't be true.

”_It’s someone birthday_”

”_So? Shouldn't you party or something?”_

”_Kind of hard to do, with a demon with hidden intentions_” Bucky pointed out.

”_I won’t hurt you if that’s your question. But I don’t expect you to trust me_”

”_Good, because we don’t_”

They stared at each other and Mason started to brush his hair feathers calmly.

The shower was running and Bucky looked around. He wanted to do something nice for Steve tonight. No restaurant now, clearly, but maybe he could ask for a favor.

He got his phone and asked Wanda for advice. Apparently, they had a service helping with the kind of mundanity he needed right now, so, a bit unsure of himself, he called.

It was fast. Fast enough that when Steve came out of the shower, he had already asked for everything he needed.

He went to him, touching his arm in an up and down motion ”_Hey, can you wait for me please_?”

He nodded, receiving a peck on the lips with a small smile before Bucky disappeared in the bathroom.

Steve wanted to sit on the couch and watch some TV to wait but he stopped when he saw the demon right in the middle of the furniture.

Noticing that something was wrong, Mason scooted on the left to let him more space.

Clearly, Steve hesitated but finally decided to sit.

”_Do you have TV in hell?_”

”_No_”

”_Do you know what’s a TV is?_” Steve asked then.

The demon turned his face toward him and Steve felt judged hard for the second time that day but it was the first time he felt judged like that by someone without eyes on his face.

”_I’ll let you know that I was a human before, lil white boy_”

Steve was surprised, he never thought about this possibility. It raised some questions but he wasn't sure he wanted to explore that right now.

How was this his life? Well, it was because he came with this plan so he had to stuck to it now.

They watched silently. At this point, he assumed Mason could actually see, but he was interested in how he perceived everything. Was it like a human? Or did he had extra senses?

In his other form, some of his mannerisms were almost animal like but like this, they were definitely human.

About that, Steve couldn’t help but wonder what Mason meant when he said that he was human “before” and if the human in him was still there, if the human was Mason or if Mason was someone else entirely.

Steve saw enough things in his life to know that the answer could be anything.

Bucky left the shower and went to their room, double towel around his waist and shoulder.

“_This is the first time I’ve been summoned. I did not think it would be like that_”

Steve turned to him, ”_What did you expect?_” he asked more curious than he thought he was.

Mason stayed silent and Steve couldn't successfully reed his body language. The more he tried to focus on him, the less comfortable he felt. He could not point exactly what it was but Mason seemed fundamentally ”wrong” and he tried to keep his mind from doing the parallel, but it was true that Mason reminded him of Bucky when he was still the Winter Soldier. At the time, Steve could see the two images, James Barnes, the man before the war and the Winter Soldier, Hydra’s weapon. They were similar physically but different in all the other aspects.

With Mason, he did not have the original image but something was convincing him that he should have.

Someone rang at their door and Bucky shouted that he got it so Steve let him ran to the door while buttoning his black shirt. He was way more interested in his boyfriend's clothes than who was at the door.

Steve frowned as his boyfriend walked to him with a big pack in his arms.

He dropped it on their table and used one of his hidden blades to open it. He revealed warm food, three bottles of champagne and a decorated box that he delicately brought to the kitchen.

”_You still want to celebrate Sam’s birthday?_”

Steve’s eyes went big, touched by Bucky’s attention. He walked to him to give him a strong hug ”_Thank you Buck_” he said softly.

The day had been so crazy he almost forgot. _God how could I forget?_ He wondered guiltily, letting Bucky serve them.

He didn’t want to let that guilt eat him but what could he say? He was a Guilt Expert™ at this point and oh boy, did he felt guilty about Sam. He dragged him back into a life of fights, even if it was for a “good reason” and gave him years of shitty motels, people trying to kill them and the government declaring them enemy of the state. All he offered him was misery and in the end he died and Steve was still here.

And yeah, Sam told him himself, multiple times, that he wanted to be here by his side. He respected him enough to let him do his own choices at least.

Sam chose to stay with him.

Steve, of course, asked himself why he would do this. Sam was a good man, he knew it, but he went above and beyond for him since the day they met. He has been the best friend he ever could have asked for in his new life.

_Friend_.

How could he have been this stupid and afraid? How many lingering touch they had? How many times they looked at each other for too long. How many times has he been scared Sam could hear his heart beating too fast and loud for him? There has been something between them.

And he did nothing about it.

That was something he couldn’t shake away. Even when Bucky started expressing interest in him. Even when he decided to date him. Even today.

He failed Sam on many levels and that one was a scar on his heart. It felt a bit unfair to Bucky to wonder too much about what if since he was happy with him. Truly, he was. He just wished Sam was with them now.

”_Rice, red beans and roast leg lamb..._” Mason said enthusiastically, still on the couch and face toward the table.

It was hard to know why he decided to intervene about it but it sure brought Steve in the here and now thought.

”_I think it was his favorite, right?_” Bucky commented, suddenly unsure of himself. He could have sworn he heard Wilson said that one time but Sam seemed to loved a lot of things.

Steve beamed at him ”_Yeah. He used to say that his Ma would do it just for him when he would visit and always do way too many red beans_”

Mason got up and walked to them, uninvited. The two humans felt uncomfortable with him salivating at the food like that.

”_You want some, birdy?_” Bucky proposed without thinking.

Steve wondered why he felt so cold toward Mason when Bucky was the one who didn't want to bring a demon there initially. 

Mason smiled, all pointy teeth, before sitting quickly and looking in the bags. Bucky asked him what he was doing.

”_Ah! I’m good_” he announced triumphant, showing the red pepper.

Steve froze. It would have been such a Sam’s thing to do. Always mocking him for his supposed lack of spices when he cooked and complaining about dishes in need of red pepper.

No, he was reading in it too much.

”_Could you talk to me about that person?_” Mason asked, trying to use his clawed hands to manipulate the fork with little success. He had to focus to change his hand, make the claws recede.

It shouldn't be surprising the two human but it did. What a neat party trick. 

After Bucky’s started, Steve joined and they shared stories about the friend they were missing and doing all of this for.

”_Sam Wilson, The Falcon...I like that_” Mason finally said when they finished their dish. ”_I bet he was cooler than you guys, obviously, because he liked cool birds like me_”

He showed his feathers with pride, waiting for one of them to agree.

”_He kinda was_” Steve said fondly ”_He left everything to help me, us, and never asked anything in return_” He had some tears in the eyes and his smile made him look small. In Bucky’s eyes, even smaller than before the serum." _I miss him_”

Bucky gave him a squeeze on the shoulder; Steve grabbed his hand and kissed his knuckles.

”_Come on babe, we have cake and champagne, let's put some music okay_?”

Steve loved Bucky even more if that was possible.

He wished it could have been just them but so far, Mason did nothing menacing so while he kept an eye on him, he still started to relax.

After having eaten half of the cake and drink one of the three bottles, Bucky asked Steve to dance, swaying their body on the sweet rhythm of RnB love songs.

The playlist came from Sam himself on a Valentine day quite eventful years ago.

Mason had open the second bottle by the time a song about a man asking his lover not to leave him was reaching its peak. Steve held Bucky a bit stronger, his head hidden in his neck. Bucky knew Steve was crying a little and if he could, Bucky would bring back Sam himself mostly to have his boyfriend stop hurting and a bit because he did missed Sam too.

He missed his humor, his attitude, their banter, his smile...

He wished Sam wasn't dead or god’s knew where. He wanted Sam here, with them.

Instead, they had a demon...dancing with the bottle?

”_Demons can dance?”_ he couldn't stop himself from asking, making Steve look too.

Mason didn't even turn his head to them ”_Maybe you could put something a bit more festive? This ain’t valentines_”

Steve tensed. Now, that was a weird coincidence.

Bucky explained that music was way more his thing than them. He proposed Mason to put something if he knew how.

Mason shrugged, walking to the computer and if it wasn't something to see, a demon using a mouse to choose something on Spotify.

Life was strange like that.

Then, some sort of violin came thru the speakers and...

”_I KNOW THIS_” Bucky said loudly, turning to Mason, unimpressed ”_Seriously dude?!”_

It did not ring any bell to Steve but it quickly revealed itself, through the lyrics. It was the kind of song Sam would deny to even like, but would sing just to annoy the shit out of someone by putting it in their head.

The demon said nothing until he could sing ”_That thong thong thong thong thong_” with the singer.

Apparently, Mason took this seriously and Bucky echoed Steve thoughts when he asked how he knew this song.

”_Dunno but it’s catchy_”

Bucky was side-eyeing him hard but Mason seemed nonplussed as he tapped his foot on the floor in more rhythm that Steve had if he didn't actively focus on the music.

After that, Mason served as a very enthusiastic DJ until one am when they decided to call it a night but not before one last toast.

”_I want to have a toast in honor of Sam Wilson_” Mason started, showing to the two humans his bottle of champagne, almost empty ”_I know only what you guys told me about him but I can affirm that he would make one hell of a demon!”_

He sounded proud of himself and, in a very twisted way, he remembered them of Thor when he learned something new about Midgard but didn’t exactly understood the context.

Bucky followed, raising a full glass ”_To Sam Wilson, I wish he had moved his seat up, I wish I could have spent more time with him too because he helped save my life, he watched on Steve when I couldn't and...I think we would have been good friends with more time_”

Steve was the last; he had no champagne in his glass but did not care.

”_To Sam Wilson, I have a debt that I will never be able to repay. He welcomed me in his life in a way that always made me feel human. I miss him daily and I..._” he suddenly chocked up on his words, clearing his throat, then frowned, his eyes holding back a few tears ineffectively “_I don’t understand why he didn’t come back. Why did he have to...die_”

Bucky didn’t know what to say. It was the first time that Steve acknowledged what was the most logical explanation about Sam’s absence.

”_I am done for tonight_” he said to change the conversation, starting to clean up the table. ”_Go ahead Stevie, I won’t be long_”

Steve nodded then walked to their bathroom, meanwhile, Bucky wanted to make sure no demon would try to kill them in their much-needed sleep.

”_Take the couch. You can’t come into our room or leave the apartment understood_?”

Mason nodded silently, his seemingly jovial attitude having disappeared during the toast. He approached the large window giving on the balcony, pushing the curtain just enough to see outside in silence.

Bucky closed the door to their room, activating one of the highest security mode. It virtually changed the room into a bunker.

When he joined his boyfriend in bed, Steve grabbed him tightly, his head hidden between his chest and shoulder. There were no words strong enough to say at this moment so Bucky just grabbed him back and let him cry silently.


	3. Just a taste

Neither of Steve or Bucky could sleep well that night. Sam’s presence haunted the two men just like it did after they won against Thanos.

Bucky felt guilty to be in Steve’s arm even if, of course, this was where he wanted to be but. He knew Steve and Sam had a special relationship. He wasn’t sure why they never been together during the years they spent in each other pocket and never asked Steve about it. 

It was rarer nowadays to see his boyfriend hurt this much over their absent friend. Not that he was the only one Steve mourned, but Sam was just the cherry on the top, the one that should be here with them, back at the same time Bucky did.

Sleep came late and for once, Steve let himself stay in bed instead of jumping as soon as his internal clock told him to. He was still the first out of bed the next morning.

He deactivated the protections and stepped out of the room, violently remembering that they had a demon in their life now. He saw, through the open kitchen, Mason cooking something that smelled sweet. Pancakes.

He had no idea they even had enough ingredients for that. No, what he should be asking was why was the demon decided to cook in the first place.

He walked to the kitchen, trying to pick on anything that could indicate that this was a trap or that Mason poisoned the delicious smelling food. So far, nothing seemed out of the ordinary beyond the avian demon, pilling yet another golden pancake on a plate.

“_Would you tell me the truth if I asked you if these are safe and edible?_”

“_Would you believe me anyway?_” Mason answered without turning, starting to clean up instead. Apparently, he was done and there was more than enough to at least two super soldiers and more.

“_You realize this is very confusing for us? This whole situation_” Steve asked, frustrated.

Mason said nothing, finishing his task with method. In the meantime, Bucky joined them, just as confused as Steve but looking sleepier. They both observed the demon move the pancakes to the living room where they ate last night. After some come and go between there and the kitchen, he had brought honey, maple syrup, peanut butter and coffee as well as bacon and eggs.

For a place they did not lived in often, they sure had a lot of food.

Mason sat, not caring about them anymore and started to put the syrup on his first pancake before focusing to use the knife and fork.

”_I forgot the juice_,” he said to himself, making another small trip to the kitchen.

Steve really wanted to say something about the fact that he was wearing his sweatpants and tee, wings nowhere in sight. His initials clothes on a chair near their TV.

”_Are you going to eat all of them?_” Bucky questioned with curiosity.

Steve glared at him, Bucky always had a sweet tooth but he would be damned if he let his boyfriend die due to demon’s food poisoning.

”_You can eat some if you dare_” Mason challengedas if he heard Steve’s thoughts.

The blond got redder quickly, thinking about how dreadful it would be if Mason could hear their thoughts. He knew it was a provocation but he wasn’t about to bite so easily.

While he loose time on his thoughts, Bucky joined Mason and ate his pancake without any topping. He just throw the whole thing in his mouth.

“_Unnnh_,” he moaned, obscenely “_Stevie, you gotta taste this. Is this vanilla?_”

“_I know how to cook, of course there’s vanilla,_” Mason said, his eyeless face smiling and showing some pointed fangs.

Steve didn’t know what to do. He touched his pocket to check that his phone was still there, just in case.

Realistically, he knew that if Strange had thought that they were in real mortal danger, he wouldn’t have let them with Mason. That said, he prevented him from leaving the apartment so it had to mean something right?

What was to expect from bringing a demon to this reality? The book said nothing about it. Not what his purpose would be, not what to do once you got one and certainly not how to send them back. It wasn’t as if he could ask the mayor, what he did was quite different both in intention and in method.

So here they were, his boyfriend, a demon and him, eating pancakes. And yeah, they were good.

In fact, they tasted like deja-vu somehow but he could not place exactly what they were reminding him of.

“_Maybe we should talk about rules_” Steve said once they were done. His voice was way more sure than what he was feeling. Even if Mason came to disagree, he hoped it wouldn’t come to a fight. His ability to drain vital energy would be hard to counter. He should have a plan to stop Mason if the demon ever went rogue, he told himself.

He saw Bucky look at him from the corner of his eyes. He had a small smile and listened, in total opposition to Mason who tensed up at the words.

“_If you are going to be around for a while...we have to be able to trust you, somehow_”

Mason snorted “_Funny that you would talk about trust, Humans are not known to be particularly honest creatures but go on_”

Steve scowled.

“_He has a point_” Bucky conceded.

He tried to ignore that but still gave a “_not helping_” glance to his boyfriend.

Mason listened to Steve ten minutes rant and explanation about what he could and couldn’t do. It was boiling down to “Don’t kill people” and "Don"t try to leave this place"

Mason said nothing, changing into a bird, he simply put himself on the grey couch and pretended to sleep until he didn’t have to fake anymore once they were both gone.

When he woke up around two in the afternoon, he started to think and reflect about his situation.

This was the first time he was out of hell, at least, since he was reborn. It was hard to decide if he liked it here better or not.

Redwing had warned him about signing up for this. Most demon wouldn’t care, but he did.

What Steve and Bucky didn’t believe, but was true anyway, was that he truly had no intention in deliberately hurting them. It was also why he had no intention of staying locked up there for long. Steve arrangement sounded a lot like he would do with a dog instead of a fully grown demon.

And he was no dog, Steve better remember it before Mason had to do it for him.

In the meantime, he had to busy himself. He was grateful not to be one of these elder demons struck in hell since who knows when. Some of them didn’t even know internet.

Him? He was flawlessly navigating YouTube and Tumblr and Netflix. Well, flawlessly may be a strong word.

Try using that stupid TV remote with these claws. He had to perpetually use his humanoid hands, something he wasn’t used to and felt a bit unnatural.

He started to notice that he needed energy. Human food was tasty and fun but it was not enough.

Redwing warned him about that too. The need to consume someone’s energy when you were on the mortal plane felt a bit different from hell. He thought it would take more time before he felt it however.

He was waiting for Steve or Bucky to come back when he felt a shift in the air. He wasn’t exactly sure where it came from at first before turning to look at the door from the couch.

Something close to magic was happening behind that door, he was sure of it.

No matter what or who that was, he was ready to kill if necessary. Even if not necessary, if he was being honest.

The door glowed electric red before opening slowly, revealing a woman with long brown and reddish hair.

Mason did not remember her name but he remember helping rescue her the day before.

“_Hello_” she said while coming in, alone. “_I’m Wanda, we met yesterday_”

She deliberately let her power flow from her as a warning. Something told him he should not try anything funny unless he was ready to go for the kill, which would defeat the purpose of rescuing her in the first place.

”_What are you doing here?_” he asked after a moment of silence.

”_Steve asked me to check on you and see if you need anything_”

She seemed sincere but he wasn’t stupid, Mason guessed that they sent someone who could defend herself against him. Interesting.

”_I need to feed_,” he said, more to see her reaction than because he actually thought she would agree to that.

She looked surprised by the request ”_I think there’s must be something in the kitchen_”

Before she could move further inside the living room, Mason stopped her by adding that he did not talk about human food ”_Coming to this plane and staying here needs energy. Life energy_”

She blinked, her hands starting to glow red ”_This is not happening_”

”_Then you can go, Wanda_”

He changed to his bird form, nesting against the two black cushions on the couch.

”_Is this the demon equivalent of pouting? I can’t tell_”

He did not answer. He couldn't exactly roll his eyes like that.

The door closed with a soft noise and he did not remember hearing Wanda walk out of the apartment.

When she plopped herself on the other side of the couch and grabbed the remote, Mason briefly spread his wings in annoyance.

”_If you behave, I’ll see what I can do for your...need_”

It was easy to ”behave” when you spent your time dozing off.

Wanda was looking at some reality TV and Mason got a sense of déjà vu, once again.

It wasn’t a memory, not really, there was no image in his mind. It felt like they were blocked in his mind so he had some sounds and feelings, but nothing else. He recognized the elusive feeling as something that must have happened _before_.

Someone in his other life annoyed him with their questionable TV tastes.

“_Is that the best humanity can offer? The scandalous ladies of Atlanta?_” He asked after witnessing a lot of people with a one way ticket to hell for sure.

“_It’s funny that you are complaining now because Bucky told me something very funny about some of your musical taste_”

She smiled but Mason wasn’t ashamed at all “_Thong Song, Ring my bell and Ain’t nobody are classics_”

“_If this is the kind of thing you listen in hell, I better start to pray. So Americano centred_”

Mason laughed. She wasn’t bad company.

Steve finally arrived around nine and thanked his friend again.

“_You’re welcome. Is James okay?_”

Steve nodded “_Yeah, he had some business with Clint, he’ll come later_”

Mason found himself in the same conversation quite naturally despite not knowing the people they were mentioning. Yet, most of his intervention were spot on and earned him some smiles even.

When Wanda left, he had lured himself in a false sense of security. So much so that when Steve turned to him, face ice cold, he did not listen to what he was saying the first time. “_What?_” He asked in confusion.

“_Who were you before?_”

“_I don’t know and I don’t care_” he truthfully answered.

It did not satisfied Steve “_It’s like...It’s weird. Sometimes your reactions, what you know..._”

Now, instead of angry, he seemed lost. Mason wasn’t here to make him feel good so he shrugged.

“_I am what I am, that’s all. About that, I need to feed_”

Steve shook his head, asking him why he did not ate something. Like with Wanda, he explained what kind of food he needed and was met with a similar negative reaction.

“_Listen, Steve, you brought me here so you better feed me one way or another_”

“_Or what? You are going back to hell?_”

“_Oh, so you’re even worse than the mayor then. Heroes my ass_”

Mason was starting to get really hungry and his body would find a way to get energy, whether that stupid human accepted it or not.

Steve frowned and he looked like he was ready to argue at first. He took a deep breath “_Do you have to kill to feed?_”

“_Of course not you idiot_” he answered with irritation, the insult rolling of his tongue. There was something uncomfortable about Steve and Mason was sure the man could feel it too.

Steve turned his face away and took his phone to send a message. He asked Mason to wait and the demon huffed, changing into a bird instead of answering him.

After more than an hour, Bucky arrived with an air of urgency. Contrary to Steve, he had his suit on.

Mason liked the concept of special clothes to go on missions. He had nothing of the sort where he came from.

It wasn’t that Bucky looked good in them but...well, maybe he did.

He grabbed Steve and brought him in their room. They were either going to have some good sex or an argument. He couldn’t tell.

Would it be rude for them to fuck in the room next to him? Well, he did not cared all that much. He liked sex too and he would not stop them...just like he did not expect to be stopped if he found someone cute to...wait a minute, how was he supposed to find someone here?! He sure hoped so.

Mason was having an internal crisis when Bucky and Steve appeared in the living room once again.

“_You will feed on me_” Steve announced.

“_And if you do anything suspect, I’ll kill you_” Bucky immediately continued, showing what could only be described as a silver stake.

Mason could sense some faint magic in it. They did not have one of those when they called him. At first, the idea of feeding of Steve should annoy him but he wondered if he would find what felt off about him this way. Their sudden aggressiveness wasn’t surprising at all, he had enough brain to recognize that, until now, they only saw him kill when he took energy so of course they thought he would do the same to Steve.

He nodded, only moving to stand straight in the space between the couch and the table.

It was easy to play the game sometimes. Pretending to be accommodating, to be “nice”. As if he couldn’t just rip their heart out. He did not want to, but he could. Well, not exactly directly but whatever, same result.

Steve placed himself in front of him and Bucky a bit behind so he could reach for his boyfriend in a second.

“_You will be tired_” Mason warned. He remembered when he was learning how to feed without taking too much. It was a necessary skill for higher-level demons.

Steve looked ready to fight. It was annoying.

Mason brought a hand to his face slowly so neither him or Bucky saw it as a threat.

Steve’s beard felt strange under his hand. The sensation made him take it back, rolling his fingers at the sensation.

Steve frowned but stayed silent so he put his hand back.

He felt the energy inside Steve and let it come to him.

“_You taste good_” he said without thinking but stopping the process when he spoke. Because it was true, it was good and warm, almost familiar.

“_Uh, thanks, I guess_” Steve answered, perplexed. At the same time, Bucky warned “_Don’t get used to it_”

“_Okay, let’s do this_” he said, too unsure of himself. He felt a pressure inside him to do this right. Taking someone’s energy could be used as a weapon to kill and hurt, but it could also be used...differently.

He focused on Steve and started to feed, a faint golden mist flowing between them.

He stopped after what seemed like less than a minute but Steve’s energy felt so good he just leaned in and...

“_HEY_!” Bucky shouted, grabbing Steve to pull him against his chest and wrap his arms around him protectively.

“_What...”_

Mason smiled “_Looking forward to my next meal, Stevie_”

If he had eyes and eyelids, he would have winked.

“_You little shit_” Bucky said, lightly pushing Steve behind him to jump on Mason who changed into a bird, laughing, and flying out of reach. “_Don’t think you’re going to escape me that easily! Fucking pigeon!_”

“_Come on Bucky, he is just messing with us. Besides, I’m fine_”

“_He tried to kiss you_”

Steve said nothing at that while Mason gleefully taunted Bucky.

“_I thought you were supposed to be faster than regular humans. Is that all you can do?_” Mason said, having re-transformed behind the kitchen counter.

“_You two, could you make diner instead of acting like children please? I’m just gonna sit for a second_” Steve demanded, ass already on the couch.

Bucky immediately turned a menacing glare to Mason. The demon confirmed again that Steve would be okay but he had a feeling the metal-armed man did not care about what he had to say. Weirdly enough, when Mason suggested helping cooking, Bucky surprisingly said yes. The demon used that moment to think about what happened earlier.

Steve’s energy was...it felt different. Different from anyone he fed on previously. He couldn’t put his finger on it but the taste was, for lack of better word, comforting.

He didn’t understand how or why but he had to taste him again that was for sure. Once again, Redwing words echoed in his mind, he needed to be careful before getting addicted to a human like that. 


	4. Mission

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a little bit of smut in this one

Diner was mostly quiet, or maybe it was that Mason was lost in his thoughts until the end of it.

“_I want to go with you. Tomorrow_” He announced totally unprompted.

Steve and Bucky looked at each other.

He saw Steve put his hand on the black and gold arm of his boyfriend. Mason wondered if they already talked about it. It wasn't that he wanted to save the world but he was here to help them, right? It was his mission, sort of. So after thinking about it all day, it was easy to come to the conclusion that he should go.

“_We have a mission tomorrow_” Bucky answered with calm. “_We can ask if you can come with us_”

Steve smiled at that and Mason nodded. Him going would be a win-win for everybody. Except the enemy.

Turns out, Mason wasn’t allowed to go with them. He had been frustrated but accepted it without much fuss. What good would that have done since neither Steve or Bucky were in charge. He was, however, disappointed to say the least.

Around noon, he felt a pressure in the back of his head. It wasn't painful but it was really annoying and foreign.

The same phenomenon repeated itself less than an hour later and he realized it wasn't some headache.

He had no more doubt about what was going on since his whole body was arching. The need to go to whichever one of his dumbass was in mortal danger was hard to ignore.

That nagging sensation he was experiencing for the first time was a Call. It was basically the contract acting up to remind Mason that he was supposed to help and not let his...humans, ahem, die. 

Which was stupid because how was he supposed to help heroes if they put barriers around and refuse to let him go with them? The perspective of losing already one of them was annoying. Just annoying. What would the other demons say? _Look at Mason, loosing his contract in the blink of an eye_. Who cared anyway? Pff, not him.

He waited for them to come back but Steve was alone when he finally entered his place late at night.

”_Where’s the second one?_” he asked when the beaten soldier closed the door. He tried for an innocent tone but he almost jumped off the couch to face the blond so he kind of failed that part.

Steve sounded tired and looked worse ”_Medical bay. He got hurt_”

He navigated the kitchen to heat up a pasta box and ate it sadly without another word. Mason looked at him until the human walked to the bathroom for more than twenty minutes.

When he stepped out, not totally dry and dragged his feet to his bedroom, Mason had made his decision.

He got up to the now closed door and knocked three times. Steve must have been completely out of it because he hadn't put any extra protection.

The most expressionless face he has seen Steve wear until now appeared.

“_Yes?_”

“_Starting tomorrow, I’ll come with you and Bucky_”

Steve opened the door completely, his all demeanor changed to challenging and borderline hostile.

“_No_”

_Fuck Steve. _

Mason thought that they were making progress but he must have been wrong considering the human’s attitude. Maybe he should let them die, collect their soul and laugh at their stupidity. He knew it was only a question of time before they would need him anyway, so he let the topic drop for now.

Two days. It took two days to feel that Call again.

He felt pulled somewhere by the back of his skull so hard he fell back. He should have met the floor but instead of something solid, his body seemed to travel through ice cold water.

When he opened his eyes, as soon as the sensation stopped, he wasn’t in Steve and Bucky’s place anymore. He was honestly shocked to see that he bypassed Strange's protection like that. He would rub that in the sorcerass later. For now, he had more pressing matter.

“_You got to be kidding me_” he muttered, taking in the scene.

He was in a church, in the middle of a fight.

His apparition put in a short halt as some people looked at him.

Bucky was fighting outside, right in front of the large doors and a priest and his zealots were overwhelming Steve. He could feel the magic, perverted light magic used to give the mindless slaves more strength and stamina.

Steve was held to a cross in a very bad interpretation of Jesus. The restraints were glowing, the magic making them unbreakable by strength only. The more he was fighting back, the tighter they would become. He knew them because he saw demons being killed by them. Angelic weaponry were rare on this plane, he wondered how they put their hands on it. It was a bit unnerving to see humans plays with this kind of big toys.

Mason felt nauseous, which was another first. A church was NOT the kind of place he wanted to stay in for too long.

Changing two of his quills in curved swords as long as his arms, he slashed through one, four, eight bodies. When he got his hand on the priest, he caught him by the neck to prevent him from calling more power and siphoned him like a Capri sun.

Without the priest, the zealots were less powerful and less organized but still with their goal. He got them easily, slashing, throwing and snapping them with glee.

With a final symphony of gunshots, Bucky entered, looking at the bodies then Mason.

“_How are you here? Is that my sweater?_” He asked while running to Steve and try to break the restraints without any kind of success.

Mason walked back to the dead body and searched it until he laid eyes on the two golden rings on each of his thumb. It was the first time he saw them up-close, they made him nauseous. 

He put an hesitant finger on them and let himself connect to the object. The magic was still there, waiting.

The priest didn’t need them anymore so he slide them on his thumbs, feeling the residual man’s energy inside him connect with it. As a demon, he could not operate these but thanks to that very human essence, he could trick the rings.

Bucky was still fighting to free his boyfriend and Mason did not felt better as the holy place started to mess with his mind as well as his body.

“_I can free him_”

There was no trust in Bucky’s eyes when he looked at the demon but he moved enough to let him access Steve anyway.

He touched the restraints with the mental command of letting go and absorbed the energy within him.

It burned so much he jerked back, fighting to get the rings out of his clawed fingers and throwing them away. His hand was burned, not like fire but the angelic powers burned through his essence to accede what was underneath. He observed the brown skin exposed, hiding it from Bucky while he looked at a body trying to crawl away. Using Bucky's current distraction, he quickly killed the man by sapping his energy and use it to heal.

Even then, he did not react well to light magic, even perverse light magic like this, he hoped they could leave soon.

“_It worked...”_ Bucky said, incredulous. “_Steve, you okay?_”

Steve blinked and sat while massaging his forearms “_Yeah, I...I think I’m good now_”

He looked at Mason, his jaw tight.

“_We will talk when I’m back_” Mason warned, his tone cold and decisive.

“_What do you.._.” Bucky started, only to see Mason change into a black bird and fly out of the church with minimal sound.

Steve and Bucky were back at the Avenger Tower a few hours later. The ride back to New York took some time, and then there has been the debriefing with Maria. Explaining to her that the demon that was supposed to be stuck in their place had somehow teleported itself in a church miles away from there was delicate. In addition, the same demon was nowhere to be found. She stayed silent, waiting for them to find a solution, quickly.

“_I think we treated the situation the wrong way_” Bucky finally said. “_Steve when we...used the book, you said we needed to say what we wanted right?_”

Steve nodded.

“_And I asked...I asked for Sam to send us a pigeon from hell...I didn't thought...”_

There was even more silence now, until Steve smiled in disbelief. He was about to say that this could not be possible but a part of him wondered if that could be the beginning of an explanation.

”_Really?_”

Bucky shrugged, they were not, by any mean, experts on demonology.

“_Well, he helped us and I want to give him a chance_” he declared. “_He has been locked up in our place since we got there”_

Maria reached a decision “_If in three days he isn’t here or if he harms innocent, I’ll send a team after him. He is your responsabily, don't forget it_”

It was good enough for Bucky. Steve decided to follow his boyfriend’s instinct on this one.

When they came back to their place, the first thing they did was check if Mason was here, he wasn’t.

“_I need a good shower_” Bucky said when they finished.

“_You can go first if you want_”

“_I said “I need a good shower” Steve_” Bucky insisted, cheeks pink.

Steve’s brow went up slowly “_Ohh, yeah, I think I need a shower too. Totally_"

Bucky groaned then laughed “_How can you still be so bad at this?_”. He grabbed Steve’s hand and dragged him to the bathroom, helping him get rid of his suit.

It felt good, being under the warm water and kiss lazily. The soap they were using smelled like wood and grass. Things started to get heated and kisses changed in feverish touches. Steve traveled his mouth south and took Bucky in his mouth making the brunet swore loudly.

He liked Steve with his longer hair. Not that it was even close to rival his own, but they were surprisingly soft for someone who pretended conditioner didn’t exist.

Steve steadied himself, kneeling with a hand on Bucky’s muscled tight. The other was touching freely from his leg to his abs then his ass.

_God, I love that ass _the blond thought, his dick pulsing in his hand.

Steve made a point to take care of said ass the way Bucky deserved. They lost the notion of time entirely in favor of Bucky’s moaning under the water while Steve dug in him. Bucky would argue that post mission sex was the best sex. It sure seemed like it when he collapsed against the wall, riding his orgasm (and Steve’s dick) like there was no tomorrow.

When they left the bathroom, they found Mason looking at the TV without any sound.

He had his arms crossed over his chest “_Wanda let me in_” he explained without turning to look at them. “_Guess you two are more than fine_”

There was an accusation here and considering that they hadn’t been quiet, it was easy to know what he was talking about.

“_I’m better now, by the way. I wasn’t because church are made to repulse demons, so there’s that but thanks for asking_”

Steve felt his throat constrict. He hadn’t made for Mason to hear them and yeah, he had been ungrateful about the help he provided but if he had stayed more than a minute after the fight, maybe they could have talked.

“_You shouldn’t have left on your own_” Bucky said. He did not appeared annoyed by the whole “_I heard you fuck_” thing. Priorities.

“_From now on, no more barriers and no more fun missions without me_” he announced, his tone not exactly made for a discussion “_I am not your pet and I am not your prisoner_”

“_That’s the thing_” Bucky said “_We don’t know who you are_”

“_I am who you called! If you do not know what you asked for, don’t blame it on me_”

“_We called something or someone to help us. We asked our friend to send us anything...” _Bucky turned to Steve “_I told you, this is all Sam’s fault!”_

Steve opened his mouth before closing it. He knew he has been reluctant to let Mason be a part of something here but he saved his friends and he saved him. He knew that he owed him to try to make it work. If Bucky’s theory was true, it could be much easier, especially on the trust aspect of the relationship.

“_Are you sent by Sam?_” He found himself asking. He would have preferred not to sound that vulnerable but the idea of their friend being involved, even by sending them a demon was making with nervous with barely concealed hope.

Who’s to say he wasn’t here to exploit their weaknesses? On the other hand, if there was a chance...He had to take it.

Mason became so still for a second he could have changed into a statue.

“_Even if that was true, it would be more complicated than that_”

“_Then explain it to us. Please! Make it make sense_”

Steve tried to calm himself. When he failed, Bucky grabbed his hand.

Nothing was preventing Mason to explain that demon were corrupted souls (or souls fragments in the case of the lower class demons). The only certitude he had about who he may have been was that it had to be someone from Steve and Bucky’s past. Someone they knew. But, and it was a big BUT, it could be anyone from a friend to an enemy, a victim to someone they helped. He wasn’t sent by anybody, the link between them already existed before.

Mason didn’t kept any memories directly linked to his human self other than vague impressions on things he knew or people he potentially already met.

At least, he wasn’t a demon born out of pain and desire to get revenge, these clung to who they were to the extreme. They would forever remember how they were wronged and use that energy to torture anyone they could.

From what he could tell, Bucky and Steve would be the kind to attract them for the sole fact that they had many enemies.

”_You met aliens, gods, people with powers beyond imagination but a demon not trying to kill you is too much?_”

Steve sighed and looked at his boyfriend who seemed to think about something before eventually give him a small nod.

”_We’ll talk to Strange about the barrier since it isn’t all that effective anyway. How did you appeared in the church?_”

The fact that he was brought to them because they were in mortal danger was one thing, but to be able to go through a magical barrier was a disturbing point.Mason had no idea the Call was that powerful and he started to understand why most demons had no business passing a contract with a human. 

“_You teleported to help Steve?_” Bucky’s tone was emotionless. Maybe he thought Mason was lying.

With a shrugs he simply explained that he could not control it, which made the other two quiet for a while.

“_Thank you, for helping us_”

Mason huffed “_I had to spend a lot of energy today because of you two. So which one of you is going to feed me?_”

Of course, Bucky immediately took a step to shield Steve “_You are not touching him. I’ll do it_”

Steve looked at Bucky in a way Mason did not understand. He was annoyed and amused at the same time.

Bucky could feel the demon’s sight on him. The lack of reaction started to be a bit insulting somehow. Was he such an unappetizing meal?

”_A problem with that?_” he asked.

Mason thought that it was weird. He did not asked himself any question when he fed on Steve so why did he hesitate with Bucky? He looked at the second human and started to wonder if the blond human did not put him more at ease. Which was weird because he was a jerk and the worst between the two.

He should just eat.

Taking the two short steps to face Bucky, he slowly put a hand on the metal shoulder. The other one, he brought it to the frowning face and put two fingers on his shaven cheek.

He started to drain Bucky and felt his metal hand move to his hip after a second. It wasn’t to push him away, maybe to keep him in place instead, which was nice, he supposed. The energy was unfamiliar.

When he was done, Bucky looked ready to fall asleep.

”_See, did you die, Barnes?_” he joked with a familiarity surprising both of them.

”_This time_”

He announced that he was going in the bathroom because he still had blood on himself. Bucky did not miss his chance to warn Mason that he better clean his sweat correctly too. Not only did Mason had no intention of doing so, only putting it with the basket of dirty clothes, but he also shouted that he hoped he wouldn’t slide on their cum and break his neck in the shower.

That night, Mason slept in the guest room instead of the couch. He didn’t really care but he guessed this place could possibly become not as unpleasant as he initially thought.


	5. Corrupted light

One okay mission, then a second and after the third months of being in the mortal world, Mason wasn’t a shock for everyone working closely with the Avengers anymore.

Apparently, some people even enjoyed his company.

“_Why would I be an asshole to Wanda? She’s nice and would make a terrific demon_,” he had said once. Clint shook his head muttering about demon nonsense as to why he liked Wanda better than him.

Mason’s way of saying that he liked you was predicting what kind of demon you would turn into. So far, Wanda had the best one. Tony, Clint and Peter got...less than enviable projections.

His relationship with the small spider was the only one that got Steve worried.

“_He looks at him like you look at lasagna!_”

“_Come on Steve, that’s not true. He doesn’t even talk to him directly_” Bucky defended while he washed the dishes.

Mason was on the balcony and couldn’t hear them. It was just another night in the Tower. Since they met Mason, goodbye their apartment in Brooklyn.

“_He says that he has nothing against him but why a bird mysteriously poop on him every day? Everyday Buck’_”

Okay, Bucky laughed. He did try to stop himself when he saw the disapproving look on Steve’s face but without success. After Strange, this joke started to get old.

“_He hasn’t hurt anyone here yet and he mostly feed on us. I’m sure he is just messing with him_”

Bucky gave Steve a patient look that the man shrugged off.

It wasn’t that Steve actively disliked Mason, they were okay for the most parts. It was just that he still had a weird feeling about him.

Each time Mason took his energy, his whole body was telling him that there was something right under the surface and he couldn’t see it. In addition, each time Mason was close to him, something about Steve wanted to reach out, which was a big no no. He wanted to ask his boyfriend if he felt the same but couldn’t find the right words for that.

Another thing that stopped Steve to befriend him fully was that while Bucky accepted the theory that Mason was the demonic response to their call thanks to Sam, Steve, who previously refused to believe that their friend was dead at all, was even less inclined to agree that Sam would be in hell to begin with.

The worst moment (or the best, he wasn’t sure), was when Mason would change into a bird and set himself on one of them. Steve had no idea how to react, letting him do what he wanted while trying not to stay as tense. Once again, Bucky was more open and occasionally petted the demon who never admitted liking it (but gave a weird look when Bucky stopped so…). Overall, they was working just fine and better with time passing.

A new mission was assigned to Bucky and Steve. Following the one dealing with a Catholic cult, they needed to prevent an attack during the Pope’s visit in Washington next Tuesday. The Vatican itself requested the Avengers’ help, which was perplexing. The demand was highly political and Steve thought of declining but Furry managed to convince him (nothing was more precious than Fury owning you one and Steve knew he would milk it for every drop of it).

It wasn’t a coincidence Fury wanted them on this, the priest they defeated weeks ago had a sister and said sister led the cult. They believed they had the divine mission of guiding the most lost souls to heaven and that the Catholic leaders has totally failed them.

When they talked to Mason about the mission, he seemed less hyped than usually. If they didn’t knew better, they would think he was nervous. Of course, Mason dismissed it but when Steve saw him train in the afternoon, they both knew they were right.

He was working with Wanda, giving her very specific instructions. Steve recognized that the demon had a great tactical mind, identifying strengths and weaknesses easily.

Wanda was lacking in her close range abilities and Mason seemed to be used to people with telekinesis so he had a few surprises for her, allowing him to be in her space more often than not.

He did not let her breathe and their fight was beautiful enough that most of the other people present were now watching. Even if they were careful and not going all out (this wasn’t the place for that), they were giving a good show.

A new trick of Mason, or at least, new to Steve, was that he could feed on someone in a way to impregnate himself of their abilities.

It made Wanda weaker because of the energy loss and Mason more resistant to her energy based attacks. The real kick was when he grabbed Peter who was walking around, minding his own business and used him as a human shield despites his protests.

Even when Wanda tried to put some distance (after releasing Peter who quickly jumped away), he flied with such ease that she could not keep up with him. The sky was definitely his domain.

He laughed during the fight and Wanda started to relax and have more fun.

They both ended up on the mat, breathing heavy and giggling like two children under the perplexed or amused look of the others.

Bucky, coming to train too, caught the fondness on his boyfriend’s face, he just couldn’t tell if that was more toward Wanda or Mason.

When the mission to protect the Pope started, everything worked exactly as it was supposed to. Security, both by the new Shield and by the FBI were in place. Sharon made sure the perimeter was controlled and that no one could enter the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception without a checking first. For good measures, Steve asked Mason if he felt anything weird but the place was messing up all of his senses. It was even worse than the last time he was in a church because now, people were praying all around them, supercharging the place in energy.

He had to get out of there during the ceremony the Pope performed.

“_Ten minutes left_” Steve warned.

Mason was glad until he saw the heavy clouds gathering in the previously clear blue sky. From a tree facing the church in his bird form, Mason observed the believers. Some of them were praying outside, unable to attend the ceremony but looking at the giant screen installed the day prior for the occasion.

The first drop of water surprised Mason so much, he slipped from the tree branch he was on a second ago, the small communicator he was holding precariously, falls.

He looked where the feather of his left wing was now smoking. When a second drop reached him right on his horn, he flew away immediately. Considering the clouds, his safest bet was actually inside the church. The fact that no one else seemed affected wasn’t lost on him.

Steve was excessively close to the pope, so Mason went to Bucky, perfectly hidden near an annexe.

“_It’s raining holly water!_” he hissed, his voice even more distorted now.

Bucky nodded, quickly relaying the information and starting to make the team move. The presence of people with powers wasn’t confirmed until now.

“_Stay here_” Bucky instructed and Mason was happy to oblige.

Of course, it would be hard enough already to stop the service and get people outside quickly without a demon appearing to cause unnecessary panic.

Not even three minutes later, a loud “_CLOSE THE DOOR!_” resonated in the holy building. “DON’T LET THEM IN” Steve shouted, all of this in a sudden cacophony of panicked scream.

_What the hell is going on? _Mason wondered, risking a look inside to see that Shield agents were leading the people inside to the back of the church. The farthest away from the large doors actually.

Mason could feel it, a powerful magic coming closer when the doors exploded; he was as ready as he could be.

“_You can’t escape God’s light!_” a new voice declared, covering the scream of some people.

Sneaking on the woman while she made her speech, Mason observed the situation.

They were only three, glowing and floating in the air with their halo. _Of course they have a halo _he thought in disgust “_Stupid punk ass bitches_”

He recognized the woman with her long icy blond hair. The family resemblance with the priest was uncanny. The other two men had no face. No eyes, no mouth, no nose. Even as a fellow no visible eyes being, he founded them disgusting to look at.

Because he actually met a real angel once, Mason could almost taste the difference on his lips. He had no idea how they achieve this bad copy, but he knew this was wrong. They were accessing powers their human bodies should not have and it shown. The same way his demonic powers needed his previous body to evolve; their body wasn’t meant to properly contain the angelic powers. The poor souls following her were proof enough and he had no doubt she had some interesting hidden stigmata as well.

Some bodies were now laying at their feet, unconscious. They must have got to them first. Among them, one looked burnt. Not their clothes thought, just their face.

He saw Steve and Bucky coming on the front line quickly starting the fight. When the woman managed to catch Bucky’s metal arm with her glowing hand, he screamed before a sudden magic burst sends him fly right to the innocent group still trying to escape. Strike.

Mason went in fast and caught one of the faceless by surprise. Using the momentum, he fed on them, letting the unholy light fill him. The taste was disgusting and overwhelming, forcing him to cough and letting the opportunity to the thing to hit him in the chest two times. He gave back a first punch, then a second in quick succession but had to stop abruptly when the second came behind him and placed his hand on his temples, generating a violent pain. Mason fell on the ground, disoriented.

“_See now, how your pope uses demons to defend him. Repent!_”

Steve jumped in front of him to deflect the light beam the leader casted at Mason thanks to the shield.

“_You okay?”_

“_I will be better once I whoop their asses_” Mason answered.

Bucky was back in the fight too. By the sound of it, someone managed to open the back door.

The two faceless came for the humans and Mason saw the woman hover in direction of Steve so he tried to intercept her only to be caught himself by her way too powerful hand. She sucked his energy so fast he was powerless in a second. _A freaking trap?! _He realized too late.

“_Not so fast_” the woman purred with a smile. With her other hand, she emitted what looked like a laser at Bucky who had no way of avoiding it in time without being hit by one of the faceless.

While the other two were busy, she turned to Mason, putting the other hand on his face.

“_I’ll make you see the light_”

The “light” coming from her hands burned not only his skin, but it feels like his inside were on fire too. He tried to jerks his body away unsuccessfully. _I won’t let her kill me like that, I can’t_. She laughed and he violently took a big gulp of her power, surprising her enough to make her release her grip. Immediately, he reached out for help, the power he absorbed, the place and her attack making him desperate like he never been before, even as her power did nothing to help calm his pain.

“_Come to me,_” he whispered, knowing his words will carry his power outside of the church. She only noticed that he has done something when the little army was closing on them.

“_You little rat, you can’t escape God’s wrath_”

He smiled right as every stained glass exploded and thousands of birds flew inside, creating even more chaos. They did not attack them. No, this would be his pleasure and his only.

He heard his name several time but he did not listen. He focused his energy to heal enough to be able to fight. This was taxing and he had to be smart. He used two feathers to create his blades and felt the wind on his exposed skin. She had burn the left part of his face, his neck, shoulder and top half of his left harm. Underneath was raw, a deep brown skin that shouldn’t be exposed. He had to admit, he was even more pissed. The left eye wasn’t seeing the same way as the right one, creating a different flux of information.

He looked at the leader and the pure disgust in her eyes made him smile. He ran toward the first faceless, still trying to strangle Steve despite the birds but he had to let go when a blade cut through his neck. Mason didn’t wait, having to go all the way to the back of the church to find the second one. The birds were protecting him well but he still ended up almost cut in half by the faceless before returning the politeness. Without checking on Bucky, he walked to the woman and ordered his birds to calm down. They all sit around, looking at her without a sound.

“_What the fuck?!_” a distressed Steve said behind him.

He did not care about his two humans for now. All he wanted was seize the soul in front of him.

The woman used her hands to channel her power so of course, he did everything to close on her. The light beams she emitted in a raging shout burned him even without actually touching him. He committed to memory the exact moment she understood what he was about to do. Nothing was more pleasing than seeing a prey fear for their life.

Her screams resonated in all of the church, reverberating for a few seconds.

She still had one hand but she now used it to hold the new bleeding part of her body. She looked at Mason with a tempest being her eyes.

“_Move again and you’ll lose more than a hand_” he warned, deliberately stepping on said hand with his clawed feet. He feigned surprise “_Disgusting_” before shooting it away.

She looked toward it in disbelief before he grabbed her face and flew above everyone else.

“_Let’s eat_” he whispered just before taking all of her energy and let the body fall on the ground like a potato bag. Her power were pure fire inside of him but the satisfaction in winning overpowered everything. At least, his vision corrected when all of his wounds healed thanks to her. He was left dizzy, getting down until he was able to kneel.

“_Now my birds, you can leave. You did well today_” he said, sharing with them some of the energy he collected as a thank.

In a cacophony of flapping wings, they left by the same way they came in, finishing to destroy every colored windows in here.

He felt uncomfortable in his own skin suddenly, a violent itch making him want to get his whole skin out. The angelic powers were getting under his skin and if he felt like that with that little of it left, he didn’t want to think of what would have happened if he had tried to keep the power inside.

Something inside him moved and he throw up a white liquid before his body started to feel better. The sensation of being out of synchronization with himself was jarring to say the least.

“_I need a drink_”

Steve wanted to say something, anything about what he saw. By Bucky’s face, he saw it too, what was underneath Mason’s skin.

Not what.

Who.


	6. Under my skin

Several agents started to come inside and call on the cleaning crew, the Pope, surrounded by two priests and his own security team, walked to the silent trio to thank them, even Mason.

It distracted Bucky and Steve while the demon discreetly changed into a bird to fly outside. He was much better now, out of this place and without any magical rain to burn him like acid.

He waited by the car they used to come here, feeling tired but good. In fact, he started to doze off and ended up full on sleeping on the black hood.

He stirred and yawned when he started to wake up, the mattress under him a bit harder than he was used to. The sheets felt like silk on his body. _Did Bucky and Steve finally got some tastes?_ He wondered. Smiling contently, he turned and spread himself like a starfish. He didn’t remember changing back into this form but he didn’t care.

“_Shouldn’t we…_” Steve said softly, barely above a whisper.

Strange cleared his throats loudly, making Mason frown and simply put the only pillow over his head.

“_BIRDIE_” Bucky called without any regards for his attempted sleep either, snapping Mason awake.

“_I’m sleeping! What the fuck are you doing here? Wait, where am I?_” he asked successively, his head turning around to look at the unknown bedroom. He sat.

Steve came near him, joining him on the bed with a sudden familiarity; jaw so tight he visibly had to breathe deeply before he exhaled. He slowly took Mason’s hand in his and Mason’s head snap to Bucky’s before he looked back at the intertwined hands in his lap, his feathered locks falling on his shoulders.

“_You okay?_”

“_A weird human is holding my hand and I wonder if we are going to braid each other’s hair next but I’m okay, I think_”

Steve chuckled “_You scared us earlier, you know?_”

Mason smiled, a bit perplexed “_Oh you big softie, you worry about me? Well, I can’t say that I had a lot of fun. You lucky I did not kill her…_” Mason stopped, as Steve seems to be brewing something “_What?_” he asked.

Steve blue eyes went to Bucky for support while Strange’s expression remains unreadable.

“_You remember when you told us you didn’t know who your human self was? During the battle, you…were hurt, right?_”

Mason nodded slowly. For some demons, their past identities was important since this was the reason they turned into demons, ghosts and everything in between. It was usually important too when you were the “haunting” type but Maosn wasn’t.

“_And, uh, underneath, there’s skin. Like, human skin. Could you change? Into a human? I mean, the one you were before?_”

“_I could_” he answered with extreme suspicion. He did regret telling them that immediately. Mason wasn’t exactly shy but it was an intimate question.

The silence was getting heavier. Steve’s brows got higher while he fixed the demon. Mason could tell he didn’t know how to ask his question and he wasn’t about to help him.

“_Jeez, Steve…_” Bucky suddenly said, “_Mason, we think we know who you were before but we want to be sure so if you could…show us, it would be appreciated_”

“_I do not want to do that_”

Mason took his hand back fast, got up from the bed and walked to the door where Strange blocked his way out.

“_This isn’t a re…_”

Mason grabbed Strange’s collar and head-butt him. Steve shouted his name and Bucky tried to stop the starting brawl. Whatever magic Strange tried, Bucky was the one who got hurt because of it when Mason deflected the Doctor’s hands. The cape tried to push Mason away, and succeed, only to be pine down to the wall because of razor-sharped feathers. By the time Bucky tried to get between them again, Mason already had a hand around the sorcerer’s throat. Steve was the one managing to remove it.

“_Hey, stand down!”_

“_You wanna give me orders now Captain? You think you can force me to show you what’s inside me? Do you want me to check on your prostate Steve? Because that’s what it sound like when you ask to see who I was before_”

“_Mason I…”_

Mason did not hear the end of the sentence because a magical blast send him fly into a wall so hard it knocked him out.

“_Enough with this nonsense_” Strange declared, making the body float until he was at the centre of the room.

“_What the hell did you just do?_”

“_Captain, with all due respect, shut up. You want to see what’s underneath his powers? Then let’s see_”

He worked fast and Bucky had to put a soothing hand on his boyfriend’s shoulder. He could see in his eyes the conflict between respecting Mason and having answers, especially if they were right in their assumptions. The thing is Mason was a person. A demon, yes, but a person nonetheless with a personality on his own. What were they going to do if it turns out Sam was really inside him?

“_There’s a seal…For now, this will do_” Strange explained waving his greenish hands in the air before a sign floated to Mason and changed into a giant circular glass.

Steve and Bucky looked through it. Instead of the demon that have been with them for months, they could see Sam Wilson, unconscious.

Steve grabbed his boyfriend’s hand, feeling his heart in his throat. His mind was suddenly blank as he stared at his friends face. The shock was keeping him mute and he barely hear Bucky talk.

“_Can we bring him back?_”

“_The seal is done in a way…I have to study it before I can say anything. I need time_”

Mason started stirring then laughed weakly. They could see Sam do the same and the juxtaposition was more than a bit disturbing.

“_You won’t be able to get past the seal unless I decide to call its guardian_” he smiled widely now “_And you can all suck my balls. I will never forgive what you did and what want to do_”

While Bucky and Strange discussed this turn of events, Steve finally decide to stop everything “_Let him go_”. Strange was about to argue but the look Steve gave was eloquent enough, so he did what was asked.

Steve came right to Mason and Bucky knew what he tried to do when he got within arm reach, making it so easy for the demon to hurt him if he wanted to.

_“I am sorry. There has to be a way for us to get Sam back and for you to still be around_”

Mason pushed past him and left the room with a heavy “_Fuck you_”

“_Captain, you made a huge mistake by letting him walk out of here,_” Strange commented, walking out too in a cape swing.

Twelve seconds later, Steve cracked, putting his head down in defeat. Bucky wrapped his arms around him and brought Steve’s face in his neck.

“_We will find a way Stevie. We will get our boy back_” he promised.

He heavily doubted Steve would make that call, choose Sam directly over Mason like that. Not if it meant killing Mason in the process. But him…he would do it for Steve, and for Sam too. If it came down to it, he will do what it takes.

Steve found Mason quite easily. The demon wasn’t hiding, he simply was chilling at Wanda’s place.

“_Hey, Wanda_” Steve started when she opened the door, a yellow and green apron around her, “_Have you seen Mason?_”

She smiled, unaware of the drama about to unleash in the apartment “_Yeah, he’s in the kitchen, we are baking, why?_”

Steve made a complicated series of faces then settled on embarrassed “_We had a fight, I need to talk to him_”

She initially wanted to ask what this was about but since they were in her home, she figured she would just stick around and be a bit noisy. Mason said nothing about it when he came and it wasn’t often that the demon would come to her directly, maybe she should have find that suspicious.

“_You know there’s an actual chicken curse game in hell? Just like in Zelda. You know Zelda, Scarlet? That’s a video game…_”

“_Mason…”_

The demon, who was waiting for the oven to reach peak temperature turned at Steve’s voice.

“_Look who’s there, it’s Brutus, the Traitor_”

Wanda came closer to Mason, deciding to keep her ears open while checking on the waiting cakes. Something told her Mason would quickly forget about these.

“_I deserve that. I’m sorry, really. We did it completely wrong and you are one hundred percent right to be mad at us_”

Steve may be sincere, but Mason was far from being done with him “_Wow, thank you Steven, for allowing me to be pissed at you. Oh, Wanda, you don’t know what this fucker and his friends tried to do? They wanted to erase me!_”

“_What?_”

“_Okay, this is a little more complicated than that Mason, don’t act like you don’t understand why we reacted that way_” Steve defended, yes the method was wrong but there WAS a problem.

“_What is going on?_” Wanda asked at the same time Mason huffed.

“_Mason is…This is Sam_”

“_Sam? You mean…_” she turned to Mason “_Maze?_”

The oven biped, so he opened it to place the two cakes before answering “_I was Sam Wilson, yes, but he isn’t like…underneath. His soul has been rearranged and this is how I was born. Of fucking course I know he was important for you Steve, but to bring him back MEANS to kill me, no, try to bring him back because there’s no way this work_”

“_Wait a minute, Mason, you knew that?!_”

She flashed red in surprise and Mason groaned, “_I only knew for certain when they told me earlier! **And I don’t care**_”

“_You’re lying_” she said right after, without missing a beat.

“_Damn girl, you are so annoying when you do that_”

She smiled, coming closer to him until she was able to touch his arm “_I am not advocating to kill you Maze, you know that but we need to all sit down and talk about it, know exactly what is going on. Can you do that for me?_”

He wanted to look at Steve but he didn’t, keeping his focus on Wanda. She was asking a lot and he was certain she knew that, yet, he couldn’t deny her…or Steve.

“_Whatever_”

Moments later, Bucky and Strange were on their way and Wanda pushed Steve and Mason out of the kitchen, allowing them to have a few minutes of false intimacy in her living room.

Mason started looking through the window, lost in his thoughts “_I always thought weird that you were the one who came up with the idea of bringing me here, yet, you always were nothing but cold. Bucky is way nicer than you by the way_”

“_Funny because Bucky and Sam weren’t exactly all that friendly. But Sam and me…_”

“_What I find funny -" _he cut_ "-is that I did not saw you mourn some of the other ones who died the way you mourned Sam. So, Captain, what’s up with that? Because that doesn't seems like a normal friendship to me_” Mason attacked, trying to bite before he get hurt.

Steve sighted in defeat “_You are right. I don’t think I can explain how much I miss him. And I was cold because I could feel, deep down, that something wasn’t right around you, and now I know what this is about_”

The demon huffed “Y_ou can't have us both Steve. It' will be him or me_"

Steve remembered how much he hated to trade life. He tried not to but this? This was a no brainer and he wouldn’t insult Mason by lying to his face.

“_Him. Always him_”

Mason turned his head to look at him finally, voice laced with disgust and obvious hurt “_I should kill you_”

“_Then why don’t you?_” Steve challenged. And it was a real question too because Mason could probably manage to kill him if he really wanted, so why was he here, next to him, having this conversation? Steve was certain that Sam was closer than Mason believed, he would bet his life on it.

“_Take this as a friendly advice Steve, stop this shit_”

The sincerity in Mason’s voice made Steve shiver. He immediately asked why, Mason answered just as Bucky, and Strange arrived.

“_There’s a cost. And it won’t be yours to pay_”

Mason wasn’t afraid of death but in the end, what they were asking of him wasn’t to simply die, it was to cease to exist and be rearranged to bring back the essence of Sam Wilson. It was so much easier to design a new demon from a human soul than the other way. They didn’t had the beginning of an understanding in soul manipulation and it showed. Even before that part, they would have to deal with the seal, whatever it may be.

There was nothing to be said, he knew he would have the last laugh anyway.


	7. Clarity

The follow up was awkward at best, especially when Bucky came by himself to Mason so he could feed. The only words that came out of the demon’s mouth were cold. It was a sharp difference between this and how Mason would usually proceed. Bucky found himself missing the body all in his space, leaving him tired but strangely content, almost peaceful. He knew why, now, he felt so at ease with him, why his senses weren’t as alert as they should have been. Was he supposed to almost want to be fed on by Mason now? Because Mason was Sam and Sam gave up everything to help Steve and him so it was only right that he gave some energy to help him in return.

Bucky had to mention it the next day to his boyfriend.

“_He hates us, you know that right?_”

It wasn’t the right thing to say apparently because the blond almost missed his shield coming back during training. He hissed in pain and shook his hand. Bucky was certain that Steve did not want to think about it too much, if not at all. The fact hat Mason would only accept to feed on Bucky was getting on Steve’s nerves, even if he pretended otherwise. Bucky thought that this was clearly because the bond between Steve and Sam or Steve and Mason was different than the ones with himself.

Getting the silent treatment from a demon was not something Steve thought he would ever know or be uncomfortable with. Mason did not say anything threatening about him but it was still annoying because Steve started being paranoid about each bird crossing his path.

“_They are judging me. I know it. I can feel their eyes on me, waiting for the order to eat me alive_”

Bucky laughed at that, ready to reassure his boyfriend until he thought about the very real possibility that Mason wanted to get back at Steve. They both could fight a whole lot, but a pigeon army? That may not turn in their favor.

The next day, they all found themselves in a large, empty, white room in one of the lowest floor in the compound. A bastardized version of an angelic rune-enhanced roped retrained Mason at the center. Strange started giving directions so the magic could work properly. Steve, Bucky and Wanda placed themselves as a triangle surrounding Mason before dropping on the floor objects that belonged to Sam. Instead of touching the floor, they stayed floating above it. They did not ring any bell to Mason but that was not the point anyway.

Bucky, from where he was standing still said “_Trust us_” when the black hoodie floated in front of him. Mason wanted to laugh. Trust them? Never. They already showed their true colors. Hell must already have a nice place waiting for them all and he had no doubt that he would see them again there when the time has come.

It was Steve’s turn to speak and Mason made a point to not look at him “_I am sorry Mason. We will do our best, I promise_”

He tugged against the ropes despite the pain to throw himself at Steve. He couldn't reach him, but he tried.

There wasn’t a single window in the room and now that the door was closed, Mason couln’t perceived any way out. Strange started to chant something and his skin started to itch. It didn’t hurt but when his body changed into his bird form, then the human one and finally the regular demonic one against his will, he was shocked enough to turn toward the Sorcerer. Of course he was trapped so he couldn’t get closer but he did try again. Eyes to eyes, he felt the magic trying to reach inside him and move something it shouldn’t. Something felt wrong, really wrong, enough that he let a shaking breathe.

“_Strange?_” Steve asked anxiously. He tried his best not to move, as asked.

“_Wait…_”

In a flash, a portal opened from Mason own mouth and something started to crawl out. He wanted to puke, even if the thing was not really getting out of him physically, he did felt like it. If he had eyes, he would probably be crying.

“_Nobody moves_” Strange instructed as the thing emerged from Mason. When he stood, he was taller than everyone else in the room. Mason recognized the long thin grey arms, the face with no nose but two mouths on each side of his round head and, most importantly, the four pairs of red wings.

“_Well, well, well, look who is trying to toy with a soul_” the demon said with two different voices.

Mason laughed and answered weakly “_Hey Red_”

“_You know this guy?_” Wanda asked right away, probably aware that she might be the only one Mason would give an answer to.

“_He is my…_”

“_Manager_” the new demon cut with his double smile.

Mason smiled at that. That was one way to put it.

“_Manager?_” Steve repeated, dubious “_Demons have managers?_”

“_Well, weird looking human, being a good demon requires a certain talent. I am in charge of this one, I help him reach his potential. Now, Mason, what exactly are you doing?_”

“_They want the previous owner of this body back. Sam Wilson_”

The winged demon looked at everybody else in the room with his very human eyes. Strange and Wanda were both glowing, nervous about the situation. They knew better than to attack unprovoked.

He laughed "_This is so funny_”

“_We are serious_”

The demon turned to Steve again “_Oh, I know you are. And I’m telling you, this is funny. You sure you want him back? Allow me to give you a piece of advice. Don’t_”

Steve started to throws himself in a passionate speech about Sam and his importance to them. Bucky, however, observed the two demons closely and start noticing something.

“_Steve, we shouldn’t do it_”

“_What?_” Steve and Wanda said simultaneously.

“_Have you lost your mind, Sergeant? I swear these supersoldier…_” Strange started at the same time.

Bucky pointed to Mason “_This is a trap. He wants us to do it because he thinks something bad is gonna happen_”

The demon laughed once more, “_These humans are so stupid. Of course something bad is going to happen, that’s why I literally told you not to do it_”

Mason felt better and acted unbothered, using a quill under his too long nails. The restraints have disappeared and, so far, only Wanda noticed.

“_We want Sam Wilson back. If we have to fight for that, we will!_”

“_Oh…Captain Rogers, you are not the one who will have to fight. He will_” he pointed to Mason. “_He has to fight to gain his previous soul form back. To the death_”

There was a moment of silence between everyone because Mason having to fight was the worst idea. Steve knew the bird demon was pissed, so why would he fight someone he obviously knew for them? And to the death at that? If he lost, not only did they lose Mason but Sam too. Somehow, Steve couldn’t bring himself to think Mason would let himself get killed, even to prove a point.

“_What if we kill you ourself?_” Bucky demanded, sounding like he wanted to know with genuine interest.

“_Then, you will lose the only key to maybe be allowed to play with his soul. Even if he does manage to kill me, you will have to remodel his soul yourself to get your Sam back. One error and…Well, just don’t make any mistake_” the other demon informed, having way too much fun with that conversation.

Followed a long conversation and negotiation between the humans about finding another way or not. They only stopped when they noticed that the two demons were chatting and joking while the taller one gave Mason the latest gossip about hell.

“_Oh, I saw Tanov lately, she is a demon of vengeance now, you should see her_”

“_Really? She only helps women I bet_”

“_Of course she is, and with how many shitty men there is out there, ka-ching, it’s raining souls_”

Then, with a more challenging tone “_Anyway, you really think you can beat me, birdie?_”

Mason laugh died down slowly “_Why not?_”

There was sadness in Red’s eyes, human sadness that Wanda and Steve could see clear as day. A chilling sensation went down the blond’s spine.

“_Who were you before?_” he asked Red, unable to stop the question from getting past his lips.

Red smiled, half of his teeth are as grey as his skin “_Let me show you_”.

Smoke surrounded the demon for three seconds and dissipated itself, revealing a shorter blond man with the same eyes the demon had. He was conventionally attractive with a mischievous grin.

Wanda, Strange and Bucky simply looked at him but Steve knew that face.

“_No…_”

“_I told you_” Mason said softly “_You are not the one who will have to pay_”

“_Shit_” Steve swore, turning sharply on himself to punch the wall.

Wanda slowly came to him to ask who this man was.

“_Riley. I was Sam’s…_”

“_Fiancé_” The blond demon answers with a smile. “_I pissed of someone who cursed me before my human death and ta-da_”

Bucky knew Steve wanted to stop everything and hearing Wanda protest as well was only making him more likely to call the whole thing off. Steve would never do that to Sam but if they wanted to bring him back, they didn’t have another choice. Strange shamelessly expressed as such and questioned whether Sam Wilson wanted to live enough to not let someone kill him again or not.

Steve was about to give him a piece of his mind when he spotted Mason smiling, taking pleasure in his dilemma and pain. They spent months together and Steve was not only about to end Mason’s existence but make something that would end up either in Sam dying for good or Sam never forgive him for what he made him do.

It was a surprise, to him, to hear his boyfriend agree with the Sorcerer. He clearly had enough resolution for the two of them and, apparently, it was enough for Riley to turn to Mason, put his hands on his shoulder and ask him to “do it”

“_No_” Steve said weakly, his involuntary passiveness allowing Mason to completely absorb Riley in him so fast Steve forgot to breath for a moment.

Mason felt on the ground like a rag-doll before his body started to cover itself in a black crystal-like substance. Strange came closer, trying to analyse what was going on “_Well, we just have to wait now I guess_”

Steve looked at the large crystal with large eyes and his throat tight. Bucky didn’t know what to say. He did what he had to but he knew Steve was far from being as convinced as he was. He tried to put his hand on his shoulder for comfort but Steve evaded him, his eyes snapping to him in disbelief.

Before the blond could properly orders his thoughts, Bucky reached out to him once more, this time not letting him much choices.

“_We want Sam back, right?_”

“_Not like that! Not if he has to…_”

Bucky cut him, firmly “_Riley is already dead. He is the past_. _We are here Steve, and Strange is right, we have to believe in him. Who cares if he hates us afterward? He will be alive to do so!_”

Instead of answering, Steve gently pushed him out of his space and sat on the floor, legs tucked under his shin, his eyes focused on the lying body in front of them.

After forty eight hours without any change and with all the attempts to reach inside the “cocoon” failing, Steve was at an all time low. The other members of the team were unsure if that was the best course of actions but all wanted Sam back. Still, they had grew to know and somewhat like Mason so the reactions were more cautious than Bucky and Strange.

No need to say, the relationship between Bucky and Steve were more than tense and each time they would talk, it seemed that they were a few words away from fighting. They avoided talking about Sam but it was hard since Steve spent most of his free time near the body. Eventually, he had to go on a small mission he almost butchered because of his need to come back to the base as soon as he could.

Fury called him out on it.

Rectification, he tried to call him out on it. Steve snapped hard, using a few, well chosen, words before stomping out of his office. As if the timing couldn’t been worse, Bucky was right there and did not appreciated the way Steve looked at him, choosing to confront him.

“_You need to calm down, Steve_”

“_We shouldn't have done that and you know it!"_”

Bucky’s tone became a bit condescending but he was stressed about the situation too after all “_You wanted Sam back and we did what we could to make that happen. We needed to take a decision_”

Steve managed not to shout but he answered quickly in anger “_You put him at risk, that’s what you did. If I had to kill you to be brought back, you really think I would?!_”

“_If it meant going back to Sam? Yes_”

Bucky wanted to take back his words because he knew he hadn’t told that the right way. He didn’t want to put the three of them in some sort of weird hierarchy. Steve would let himself be killed to save Bucky and he knew that first hand, but they had to stop pretending that one of them hadn’t been a little in love with Sam Wilson prior to this whole mess.

“_Fuck you Bucky. I…fuck you_”

Steve was hurt. So hurt he didn’t want to consider this scenario at all. His initial reaction was “no way” however, if the role were reversed, and he had to kill Bucky to get back to Sam, what would he truly do? He couldn’t imagine himself ever killing Bucky, or Sam. It was easier to say no when he wasn’t the one having to make that choice in real life.

“_Hey, baby, look at me. I love you, okay? And maybe you don’t want to believe it but I really want him back too. We needed to do something. If it doesn’t work, hate me all you want. I’ll take it. But what if it works?” _He tried to keep Steve eyes on him but the man was filled with too much pressure so Bucky had to insist, bring a hand to his cheek “_I’m sorry. It wasn’t easy but it was our only chance_”. He waited for Steve to acknowledge his words before speaking again “_I’ll go watch over him. Why won’t you take a nice shower and a nap?_”

Steve nodded, bringing a slow kiss to his cheek before walking away, defeated. It pained Bucky to see him like this and he wondered if that was what Sam went through too when they were looking for him. He knew they were travelling together for a long time. Did they fight a lot? Did Sam considered leaving?

It sucked that he never talked to Sam about it, he thanked him for keeping an eye on Steve but he never did for helping him and trying to be a friend in the short period where they actually talked to each other.

When Bucky made his way to the room Sam was in, the door was closed. When he tried to open it, he met some resistance as if something was right behind. Pushing with more strength, he finally was able to see what was going on inside. Strange’s body was lying on the ground, right in front of the door.

“_Strange_’” Bucky started, thinking too late about checking Sam’s bed.

Something felt on top on him, grabbed him by the neck and slammed him against the wall, knocking the wind out of his chest.

He saw Sam Wilson, visibly furious, and in the corner, the two unconscious (he hoped they weren’t dead) nurses. One thing was clear, if that was Sam again, bringing him back didn’t meant he was back to being human. His forearm was pushing painfully into his adam’s apple, making difficult to talk without having to push him away.

“_Sam?_”

“_You had no right. NO RIGHT to do what you did_” he said, his face totally human if not for the eyes, totally black. No, they weren’t, Bucky noticed, it was like there were glitter in them or something. “_I’ll make you all pay!_”

With a quick maneuver, Bucky dislodged the forearm and made Sam turn on himself before grabbing him so his back was pressed against Bucky “_Calm down Wilson, I don’t want to hurt you_”

“_Too late for that_”

Sam’s wings (wings?!) sprouted from his back, similar to the one Mason had but different in pattern. Instead of what could have maybe reminded you of butterfly wings, they were more akin to floating blades. Bucky couldn’t avoid them all and he had several laceration in his torso now.

Sam turned to him with an angry smile before propelling himself against Bucky with too much strength for the super soldier to block totally. A hand found its way into his hair and yanked back, exposing his bare throat to him.

He saw Sam consider it before his yes snapped back to his own eyes, then his lips. He had a single second to wonder how Sam’s lips could be that soft before he felt himself being drained.

“_No_” he pleaded without having much strength left to do it.

When Sam was done with him, he ended up on the ground like Strange and the nurse, his body having uncontrollable spams as it fought for its last spark of life. The last thing he saw was the door being opened and Sam leaving.


	8. Back again

Sam could tell, the very last thing Strange thought when he showed up to his place was seeing him.  
  
It was, what, three hours after Sam attacked him and feed on him? Which was precisely how he knew how to find him despite his magically cloaked house.

  
  
“_What does this mean?_” He asked Wong, the one who let Sam inside and made them share a cup of tea.

  
  
Wong took a sip of his hot decoction, barely glancing at his friend.

  
  
“_He needs help_”

  
  
Sam saw Strange close his eyes, tilt his head and turn it toward the semi demon (or whatever he was now).

  
  
“_You...you fed on me_”

  
  
“_Yes, I did. Thank you by the way. Your magic tastes a little weird however, you may want to check on that_” Sam answered with a concerned face. Even if he didn’t like Strange, he didn’t want him to be magically ill or something.  
Because, let’s be real, if he had to feed on him again, he didn’t want to eat energy that felt like expired food.

  
  
Maybe it angered the Doctor even more but Sam wasn’t here because of his shinning personality.

  
  
“_You came to the right place Mister Wilson_” Wong continued as if not interrupted “_A lot of people going through changes come to us. What exactly are you expecting to learn here?_”

  
  
“_I want to know what I am now. What can I do, my limits_” then, before he could control himself “_How to be a person again_”

  
  
Strange left, his cape floating next to him and Wong just rolled his eyes “_You can detect if someone’s magic isn’t alright?_”

  
  
“_I guess. When I was a demon, I fed of all kind of people and some of them got in hell because they had curses and magical illness. It tasted a bit like that_”  
  
Wong nodded, thoughtful “_Have you ever heard of a Soul room, Mister Wilson?”_

* * *

  
  
  
A Soul room, Sam would see, was no different from the representation of one’s soul.  
It was similar to where he was inside Mason, a seemingly long vast space of nothing, all black and gold. This one had shades of blue, red and purple and the gold shined on a mysterious rhythm.  
His own Soul room looked like space on acid.  
  
The first thing Wong taught him was how to control this space to get what looks like his old house as he remembered it.

  
  
“_This is your safe space_” Wong explained and Sam snorted because the sorcerer remembered of him when he worked at the VA.

It seemed, and it was, a long time ago. When helping people was something genuine and not a simple step toward getting something out of them. He knew he should find that revolting, but he didn’t and that was what annoyed him. He was aware his moral compass was definitely screwed.  
  
The only thing that made Sam uneasy after the whole home thing, was having to feed of Wong. He had to force himself quite hard to tried to be considerate each time and keep it as clinical as he could but it was still a pretty intimate act, even if the sorcerer seemed nonplussed at best by it. Also, not only was Wong more than capable to defend himself should Sam lose control, he also was sure that Mister Douchebag Supreme would never let that fly. The idea of having to fight Wong then Strange was way more problems than he needed anyway.  
  
_No, we can’t suck him dry, he is a friend_, he would think each time he had to eat. It was nice to see that the urge to take more than he should started disappearing a bit.  
  
The first thing Sam learned was that he still could gain abilities based of who he fed on, so Wong taught him elementary magic and he loved it. He never was that good of a student as a demon so it was nice to be more competent in something now.  
  
Another thing that came as a surprise was that something was going on with Sam and that something was draining his energy, which explained why he was THAT hungry all the time.

  
  
“_Sam,_” Wong asked him with concern and prudence after a week “_What exactly did you do to come back?”_  
They had been sparring for a while, Sam trying to control a fireball without burning himself which was far from easy, mind you. He had started the day by actually raising a fake sun to make it look like a sunny day, he had been so proud and all of his good mood was fizzling out. His powers were a bit wonky and seemed to have high and low inconsistently. It has been the same since he woke up as Sam and it was starting to get on his nerves.

  
  
“_You know, Mason and Riley appeared and I had to kill them both, a soul for a soul or something like that_”

  
  
“_Yes, but how?”_  
  
Sam blinked, letting the fireball fall on what was considered the floor outside of the house. He couldn’t hide the annoyed look his face initially set on. This memory was too fresh and not one he wanted to dwell on too deeply.

  
  
“_Sam_” Wong called, getting him out of his own head.

  
  
“_I am not ready for that yet_”

  
  
“_I understand, but it might be the key to understand what is going on. Whatever is happening might start to be dangerous to you as well as other people_”

  
  
Sam turned, his hands on his hips. He felt the last of Wong’s magic leaving, no more fireballs for today.  
From behind, the one that was now sort of his friend let out a heavy sight.  
  
Truth was, the only moment Sam wasn’t thinking about it was when Wong was here, otherwise his mind was filled with images of Riley, his Riley, even as a freaking demon, of Mason, of Steve and Bucky and the memories Mason made with them. All of this was turning in his head days after days.

  
  
“_You know they want to see you right?”_

  
Sam snorted, looking back at him “_Right now, I feel like if I see them, I might kill them_”

  
  
Wong didn’t seemed shocked at all, his face not giving any emotion at Sam’s answer.

  
“_Enough training for today. There’s leftovers in the kitchen_”

  
  
Once the sorcerer disappeared, Sam was left with his own mind and the pain in his chest that grew more painful with each passing days.  
Wong tried to help him with that but only managed the following diagnostic “_You might have a magical parasite sucking energy through you_”

  
  
“_Well, being killed, change into a demon then back into a freaking fake human may do that to you_”, he had wanted to retort. The possibility of being killed again from the inside after what he went through was the icing of the cake.

Soon, he couldn’t use any of Wong magic, as soon absorbed, as soon disappeared to whatever was going on inside. Then, it wasn’t just the extra magic, it was his energy directly, leaving Sam weaker each time.  
  
Eventually, even Strange came to check on what was going on and spent a whole day trying to identify the problem’s origin.

  
  
“_There’s something inside of you and you have to let it out_” he finally explained the next morning (or what what’s considered morning in that Soul room).

  
  
“_So helpful_” Sam could not stop himself to answer, feeling a bit dizzy from walking outside the fake house. Did that place had a magical barrier now?

  
  
Strange used the same spell he did to check that Sam was inside Mason after eliminating any human diseases and twelves different types or curses out of his check list.  
There was darkness around Sam’s heart. A cloud of black energy pumping at the half demon like a juice box.

  
  
“_I never saw anything like this before_” Wong said in astonishment.  
He put two fingers to Sam’s neck, then his torso “_This is alive_”

  
  
“_Get that shit out!_”

  
“_We need to study what and how it’s doing it first, otherwise it could be dangerous_”

  
  
“_GET IT OUT!_” Sam shouted, he could have sworn he felt it move inside of him just now. He wasn’t afraid easily but there was no way he would die like in Alien or something.

  
  
With a sadistic smile, Strange stepped between in front of the other sorcerer “_Happy to oblige_”  
His hand glowed electric blue as Wong protested. Sam stood still and the hand dived into him in a loud cackling noise.  
He could feel the electricity running through his entire being but especially around his heart. There wasn’t enough air left in Sam’s lungs to scream.  
  
“_Three, two..._”

  
  
With a sharp movement, Strange took his hand out and the floating black cloud with him. He couldn’t move it far from Sam however, as it resisted going any further, in fact coming back next to the half human. Something was hypnotic about it, as if Sam should reach out.  
It was a crazy idea but the feeling was too intense to ignore.

  
  
“_What are you doing?_” Strange hissed, sweat breaking on his forehead. Guess it was harder to do that what it looked like.

  
  
“_Shh!_” Wong urged him in wonder “_listen_”

  
  
“...”  
  
“_......a_..”  
  
_“.....sssss_”  
  
_“.....Sam_” the thing finally called.

  
  
The voice sounded far away and behind static, almost like a radio.

  
  
“_Riley?!_” Sam immediately recognized, of course he would, they have spent many missions talking through bad radio. Rain, wind, gunshots, nothing could prevent Sam to recognize his partner’s voice “_I got you Ri!”_

  
  
So Sam put his own hand inside the cloud, the same way Strange did his chest but didn’t felt anything at first. Then his hand closed of something and that something grabbed him back.  
  
He pulled his arm toward himself with all his strength but it wasn’t enough. It wasn’t just physical, it was magical as well and it sucked the last of his energy dry. Finally, with a last pull, he felt back with someone on top of him.  
  
The face was familiar. It looked like Riley but neither human Riley or demon Riley. Like him, there were some changes. They both got the same black and gold eyes.he had wings, but they were made of black and red fire, only two instead of the multiples ones he had as a demon. They disappeared, as Riley looked at him in total surprise.

  
  
“_Sammy?”_ He asked softly.

  
  
“_Who is this?”_ Wong questioned at the same time.

  
  
Right next to him, Strange could only blink, unable to hide his own surprise “_It can’t be...”_

  
  
“_Tell me it’s really you. Tell me it’s not...please...I...”_

  
  
Riley smiled, still half laying on top of him. The tip of his fingers were all black and a geometrical red tatoo was going from his index to his forearm.  
The touch on Sam’s cheek was nothing but careful before he brought their face closer.

  
  
“_Do it_” he just said. It was useless to add more, Sam had the same doubts, the same hopes and there was only one way to be sure.

  
  
Lips against lips, Sam opened his mind like he never did until now. There could be no lies, no illusions between them during that kiss.  
  
When they separated, the first thing he felt was something wet falling on his face.

  
  
Riley was crying “_Sammy...Sammy, shit, it’s you.._.”

  
  
Sam wrapped his arms around him, noticing only now the very nakedness of his friend. It didn’t matter. The joy took over him and they rolled around, screaming and patting each other.

  
  
“_Look at your hair!_”

  
  
“_You got fangs dude!_”

  
  
“_You are a demon_”

  
  
“_So are you_”

  
  
“_We’re alive...we made it_”

  
  
“_We are. Fuck man, we are_”

  
  
They sat, ignoring the two sorcerer looking at them.

  
  
“_I’m so sorry Riley. I never...I.._.”  
Words were threatening to choke Sam, he didn’t find any meaningful ways to say how sorry he was for killing him. He hated it. HATED IT. Even if they were both here right now, he would never forgive himself for what he had to do in order to come back.

  
  
“_It’s okay Sam...you know I wanted you to live. You know it, come on, don’t cry, I’m here! You did a shit job at killing me anyway!”_

  
  
Sam laughed through his tears and snot, repeating that he was sorry a few more times.

  
“_Crying in each other arms, me naked...reminds me of that Christmas night two weeks after we arrived in Adana_”

  
  
All Riley got for this touching memory was a slap on the shoulder “_You asshole! I told you not to use the X-3 pack. I TOLD YOU!_”

  
  
“_Oh shit, seriously? I just came back from the dead and you already are lecturing me?_”

  
  
“_Maybe you wouldn’t have been dead the first time if you listened to me! The pack was shit! You died!_” Sam punctuated with a stronger slap on the arm this time.

  
  
The euphoria wore off and now was the pain and Sam had a lot to say to Riley. So much so, Wong himself had to cut him after nearly half an hour of Sam angry rant.

  
  
“_Maybe we could get out of here and share a cup of tea? I may have some spare clothes for you mister..._”

  
  
“_Call me Riley_” the blond said with his signature cocky smile.

  
  
“_I’ll call you some pants, for starters_” the sorcerer said, opening the portal leading them outside of the Soul room, which seemed to be way brighter now.

  
Sam smiled in wonder, a hand over Riley’s shoulder, following the sorcerers toward the next chapter of their life.


	9. Merry Xmas from the Bird

“_So,_” Strange said after Riley and Sam stopped running around in the whole house like two children. Riley almost put the whole place on fire three times already because of his flames “_does that mean you’re going to see your boyfriends and they’ll stop pestering me everyday about you? Don’t take it the wrong way Mister Wilson, but I had enough of that already_”

  
  
“_Is he always this rude?_” Riley asked right after “_We are having a moment, read the room dude_”

  
  
Sam was way too happy to gang on the Sorcerer “_Right? What did I even did to you Doc?_”

  
  
“_You made birds poop on me, invited Delilah for brunch..._”

  
  
“_I told you, I did no such things, she just teleported through the phone_”

  
  
_“...Sucked MY energy without being invited to do so...”_

  
  
“_You taste dry anyway_”

  
  
“...And I’m tired to see sad puppy eyes Steve Rogers asking me, of all people, if you hate all of us!” Strange finally finished ‘_As if I cared_”

  
  
It had been quite some time since Sam felt embarrassed and it took him a few seconds to remember the (almost) foreign feeling. Well, he only felt bad, a little, for Steve because he could reasonably understand how, after what happened with Bucky, he would react the way he did and act accordingly.  
  
He just wasn’t sure if he could examine what they all went through right now with a balanced mind-set. With Riley back, everything was raw again and he wasn’t sure how to process it in his human ways.

  
  
“_What Stephen is trying to say, is that Riley and you should take a few days to yourself maybe and then come back home_”

  
  
Sam turned to Wong with raised eyebrows. Home? What was home? Riley didn’t have any and Sam...  
It was a bit too confusing but he did need more time, even after being here for a whole month already.

  
“_Give me a week, please?_”

  
He didn’t looked at anyone, getting up to go back outside and let the sun shine on his skin with delight.  
  


* * *

  
  
Riley wanted to see his family, check for himself how they were doing now.  
Sam was right next to him when they waited in front of the old building in Reno.  
  
His dad moved out of Sacramento after the death of his only son and, a year later, his wife. After Riley learned that his mom was dead he stopped his researches and decided to go see his dad, even if it may be a bad idea.  
  
Vincent Da Silva has always been Riley’s hero. He loved his wife, was an attentive father and a hard worker. As far as Riley knew, he never wronged anyone; yet, life kept slapping him by losing his son, his wife, his job and his house, forcing him away from the town he called home for almost twenty years at the time.  
  
Sam had no wise words to help Riley decide if he should go talk to him as they just spotted the tired old man getting out of the car after an hour waiting for him.  
  
For a minute, it was like seeing Riley as a child, scared to disappoint his parents after a bad grade. Sam put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, silently telling him that he got his back anyway.  
  
Riley shoved his hands in his pockets and started walking in direction of the bald man, his thick salt and pepper mustache visible from where Sam was waiting.  
  
Three full bags of groceries were carefully balanced in his hands until one of the box slipped from the fullest paper bag and fell on the ground.  
  
Vincent looked at it without moving, stuck suddenly.  
  
Riley got to his level, slowly taking the box and giving him back. The old man barely looked at who was helping him, at first saying what seemed like a thank you before walking away. When he reached the door however, he turned around for a double take and frowned.  
  
By now, the blond was already back to him and making his way towards Sam. He couldn’t see the curious look his dad sent his direction and just stopped near his best friend.  
  
He had the saddest smile he ever saw on him so Sam offered him a small smile of his own and a hand around his shoulders for comfort. Maybe they didn’t belong anymore, they lost so much time, of course people could have moved on. It was the healthy thing to do after all and who could blame them?  
  


“_Wait! You! Yeah you!_”

  
It shouldn’t have been clear who he was addressing but even Sam felt in his bones that the man was calling for his friend, well, his son.  
Following his lead, Sam did not stop either but he still slightly turned his head toward the voice, hesitating to actually look him in the eyes.  
  
“_RILEY BRUNO RODRIGO DA SILVA! WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU’RE GOING?!_”  
Sam never actually heard someone call Riley the way his dad did and if Riley almost walked faster, Sam totally stopped.  
  
“_SON_!” The man shouted so loud everyone had their eyes on them now.  
  
At least it did make Riley stop, head low, arms tights against his body, he was ready to bolt anytime. They almost appeared, his wings, before he calmed himself.  
The man walked next to Sam, giving him a full once over. For a second, he seemed ready to say something but changed his mind and came closer to his son.  
  
“_Tell me I am not dreaming this. Tell me God finally answered my prayers_”

  
  
Finally, Riley looked at his father, the tears running down his cheeks “_It wasn’t God, Pa’,It was the devil_”

  
  
They looked at each other, having a silent moment while people walked around them. Some were unaware of the fragile moment but others wanted to see what was going on.  
  
Vincent did not hesitate for long, he took the steps separating him from his son and started by touching his hair, now an unnatural white. Then, he went to his cheeks, and finally he took his hand in his, looking at the black tips in curiosity.  
  
After his examination, he showed the palm of his own hand to Riley and the man made a series of complicated faces before setting for embarrassed and taping in the offered hand before it led to a way too long handshake.  
  


“_That’s still embarrassing dad_”

  
  
Whatever that was, Vincent was convinced to have found his family again and there was something very intimate in seeing this man face almost glow in hope and happiness, Sam had to look away.  
  
It was a given that he would let them catch up.  
  


“_I’ll find you_” Riley had said before disappearing in the building behind his dad.

  
  
“_I know you will_”

* * *

  
  
Alone in a city he had no interest in, Sam thought about his own family. He said to Riley that this could be dangerous and a bad idea to see them since they already thought they were dead. It hadn’t stopped Red from coming here anyway but he was glad he decided to stay with his father a bit. Truth to be told, Sam had no intention to see his family again.  
  
When he thought of family, he thought about all the souls Belial used to torture him. He thought about ripping his “mom’s” heart again and again until it bore no more meaning that killing anyone else.  
The demon had destroyed any connection he had to his family first and despite being more himself now, it wasn’t something that could just returned.  
  
“_Same with Steve_” he thought bitterly. “_Same with Bucky, same with fucking anyone_”  
The more he cared, the worst it has been.  
  
He cared about Steve an awful lot, even if he didn’t want to admit what is really was, and he cared about Bucky even if he joked about the exact opposite.  
The memories of when he was Mason, questioning his own behavior, as he should have taken every chances to fuck them over and yet did nothing of the sort.  
  
One exception however was Riley. Belial never used him to “train” Sam. Not once. But he knew the higher demon did it with his friend because as much as Riley tried to conceal it, he spotted his hand twitch two times already, ready to grab Sam in a not so friendly manner before he got a hold on himself.  
  
They did not talk about it apart from the fact that Riley would drive to busy himself.  
  
Was he even happy? Did he felt the same love he had toward his father as before? Sam wondered. Maybe he could check for himself? Go see his family from afar and wait to know if something moved inside him.  
  
What he went through was traumatic, it was normal to be different, to feel different, to need time.  
It was okay to need healing on his own term he tried not to forget.  
  
It wasn’t long before he thought of Wanda and how she may be able to help but it would be the easy way. He didn’t want to be toyed with again. They messed with his mind, his heart, his body, his very soul. Enough.  
  
On that note, he made his way out of Reno and toward Cambria heights where his mother was currently living.  
One meal and a hundred dollar borrowed later and he was on the road. There was no rush, the snow wasn’t sticking but heavy and consistent. He wondered how it would feel to fly in this weather. Technically, he was more levitating than flying these days however. Details.  
  
He turned the radio, flipping through the station aimlessly. A special report kept him on that one for a minute as they tried to debrief a successful rescue mission by the Avengers.  
It did gave him some nostalgia until they asked where was the mysterious new recruit, absent of the line-up for some times now. The radio was turned off before he could hear whatever bullshit they cooked up. He was done being a hero anyway, now that his memories as both a human and a demon had merged, he couldn’t find any light in that. Any good he did as Sam Wilson, he did way worse as Mason anyway, at least until he got to meet Steve and Bucky again.  
  
Once again, he was reminded how a part of what made him Sam Wilson was definitely gone. Privately, he would joke that it was his better half but even then, it would felt flat. The best part of him was gone indeed and for the first time since escaping the Avengers compound, he was lost.  
  
How exactly did Sam ended up only showing next to his mom’s house on Christmas Eve was a funny story involving an old angelic trap placed in the restroom of a innocent looking restaurant. It didn’t quite managed to send him to hell as it was apparently supposed to do, so he literally haunted the place until he could scare someone enough to do as he needed to free him.  
  
So here he was, observing from afar the house being filled with guests, his sister, his uncles, two family friends...Steve Rogers and James Barnes...  
  
Unbelievable, simply unbelievable. He brought Steve to see his momma maybe once or twice and now he had a seat at the table? With his boyfriend? Wow. WOW.  
  
While he was threatening the two white men, he didn’t noticed the two ravens starting to tap against the living room window. Sam simply forgot his connection with the birds could “slip”. He didn’t have to explicitly command “attack” for them to carry his emotion.  
  
Someone, uncle Jamal, opened the window, probably with the intention of chooing the ravens away. They just flew right past him and directly to Steve and Bucky’s head, starting to provoke quite the chaos in the room.  
  
“_Shit! Stop! Come back! OUTSIDE NOW!”_ He shouted, the urgency making him use his voice, get out of the car and come a bit closer than what was a good idea.  
  
He saw the birds leave and right after, Steve face appeared through the window, looking around with focus changing his face in steel.  
  
“_Fuck!”_ Sam said, taking a step back to not be spotted. The movement did caught Steve eyes however.  
  
“_SAM!_” He shouted with certainty that this was his friend’s doing.  
  
Steve casually jumped outside in his ugly green Christmas sweater and stared running in Sam general direction. Sam only spotted Bucky’s and Sarah’s head popping being the super soldier and knew he wouldn’t be able to escape. Worse, someone opened the front door, broom in hands and that someone was his mother.  
Because he thought he wasn’t feeling anything by looking at his family, confirming that they were nothing to him anymore, he was shocked by the sudden way his body just stop moving.  
Maybe his heart forgot, but his body, even changed, did not.  
  
He wanted to run away, even if it meant showing himself, but couldn’t move. Frozen behind a large truck, he could only saw Steve run past him, stop, turn and see him.  
Steve said nothing, his face unreadable as Sam probably was looking just the same.  
  
A minute later, Bucky joined him, followed by Sarah and their mother, Darlene.  
  
The silence was hard to endure; no one seemed to know what to say. A stupid idea popped in his mind, what if he just turned around and left?

  
  
“_Don’t even think about it, Pal_”

  
  
Fucking Bucky Barnes, Sam thought, glaring at him. Bucky simply raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms over his matching red sweater. They had matching sweater, awesome. He wasn’t jealous. He didn’t even like the color red anyway. Okay, that was a bold lie.  
  
Sarah was clearly about to say something when someone shouted his name, again.

  
  
“_SAM! You won’t believe wh- uh?_”

  
  
The situation couldn’t be any more awkward, Riley coming down from the sky with zero chill, not even damp, wings made of hellfire disappearing as soon as his feet touched the now melted snow. The burst of warmth was nice to feel but not really stealthy. They were supposed to meet later since Sam believed he would be done with this in a matter of minutes.

  
  
“_Who are you?_” Darlene asked him, making Riley notice the rest of the group.

  
  
He only recognized two of them thought and completely ignored her.

  
  
“_Isn’t that Dumb & Dumber? You two are still just as ugly as the last time I saw you_”

  
  
If there was one thing Darlene Wilson hated, it was to repeat herself “_Excuse you, I asked a question_”

  
  
“_And I don’t think I’m going to answer_”

  
  
“_Son,_” Darlene started, and Sam knew she was about to say something that will make Riley either kill her or like her “_don’t think just because you have bony wings on fire I won’t slap you into next year_. _In case you haven’t noticed, this is a family conversation_”

  
  
She was clearly including the two white men surrounding her. Sam noticed it and Riley smiled like his face was about to crack in two.  
He grabbed Sam and brought him against him, which Sam let happen only because he wanted to see what Riley had in mind.

  
  
“_Perfect then, since I’m basically almost part of this family too. Right babe?_”

  
  
And just like that, he planted a kiss on Sam’s lips.  
  
Everybody knew it was done, if not entirely, mostly to piss them off. Sam didn’t exactly mind the kiss to be honest. It sort of have entered their new normal in a comforting way. A kiss like this one was tame compared to the first few days they spent together.  
  
Unaware of the exact nature of their relationship however was Bucky who scoffed while taking a step dangerously close to them.

  
  
“_You think this mean anything? Look at that!_”

  
  
Grabbing Sam who just thought an eloquent “_Uh?_”, his hands soon found their way to his face.

  
  
Being this close to Bucky was unfamiliar to Sam. Maybe it would feel less intimate if his prosthetic thumb wasn’t gently stroking his ear. The Soldier didn’t have to look at Sam like that either and if it was all an act, then Bucky had way more acting talent that Sam ever knew.  
  
Bucky kissed him to make a point.  
  
It didn’t left him breathless and flustered, no, it left him with questions and the urge to get more. The extra little peck at the end was tender in a way their relationship never been. The look they shared after did something to Sam, something he wasn’t expecting at all.  
  
He could have punched Bucky right there for this audacity, Bucky knew it and saw the feeling quickly replace whatever softness was there seconds ago. How could he let Bucky do this? How?  
  
This didn’t stop the soldier from planting his eyes right in Riley’s and let a strong “_He’s with us. You are not_” that made some people in the street turned their head for a second.  
  


“_You tell him!_” Sarah added before walking to Riley “_I don’t know who this rude ass bitch thinks he is but disrespect my mom again and you won’t be able to eat anything solid for a while. Are we clear?_”  
  


Riley frowned, “_Sam?_”

  
  
Sam sighted loudly, couldn’t he just be left alone? No, probably not. His time was up, he knew it. What he wanted to know was how someone managed to hold Steve back from going after him. A quick glance to the tall blonde informed him that this would not happen again now that he had his eyes on Sam.  
Of course Steve wasn’t the one deciding if or when Sam would be ready to go back into their life in any capacity but it was clear as day that he would not let Sam disappear from his life if he could help it.  
  


“_We’ll come by tomorrow_” he announced.

  
  
“_For the church service?_” Sarah asked in surprise.

  
  
Sam shook his head “_No, church ain’t a place for us anymore_”

  
  
If Bucky and Steve already knew about this, Darlene and Sarah did not.  
His sister looked like she was about to say something but decided otherwise. She had a lot to say.

  
  
“_You will both be expected for lunch then_” Darlene agreed with the same coldness she used with her children when they were young and did something wrong in public. She wouldn’t yell at them in front of others but they sure did hear about it in private.

  
  
“_Awesome_” Riley answered with his signature smile as Darlene and Sarah turned away first.

  
  
Steve had a moment of hesitation before he stood taller than ever, chest puffed with the courage Sam doubted he really had. He approached him in silence; hands up as visible as he could. Like the bird of prey he almost was, Sam observed him come closer until muscular arms surrounded him in a hug.  
  
All Sam could do was blink, not even returning the embrace, way too perplexed to do any of the things he thought he would do if he ever saw Steve again. When he took a step back, Steve looked directly in his eyes, a soft side smile on his lips. The smile, like the hug, wasn’t returned. Sam was just bugging and freezing.  
  
Another step to walk away and Steve was grabbed by his boyfriend who slide an arm around his large shoulder and planted a kiss on his cheek.

  
  
“_That one is an ass_” Riley interrupted loudly enough for the two humans to hear even without the super hearing.

  
  
Bucky, of course did not let this pass and quickly flipped him the bird with a grin before disappearing with Steve under his arm.  
  
For all the attitude, the second they were all gone, Riley made eye contact with Sam with the tone he only used when he needed his total honesty.

  
  
“_You okay?_”

  
  
“_Yeah...Yeah_” He repeated with more assurance. “_Wasn’t planning on seeing them, you know? And.._.”

  
  
Riley turned, looking in the direction the group went a minute ago “_and?_”

  
  
“_Nothing_” Sam sighted, unsure of himself. After spending years as a demon with no doubts, being unsure felt human but also absurd.

  
Pushing his thoughts away, he proposed that they go eat before heading to their hotel. Everything felt just a little off color from the taste of this woman to the shower he took once back inside the room. His body felt almost foreign as he looked at his fingers and nails changing into claw on command while he laid on the bed.  
He quickly closed his hand and put it against his chest, trying to calm himself before Riley finished his turn in the shower.  
  
When the other bird man came, he laid next to Sam despite having a large enough bed to be comfortable and not touch each other.  
  
Without a word, he was behind his best friend, tucking him against his chest. Sam could feel his slow breathing down his neck, he shouldn’t like it but he could admit right now that it was calming.

  
  
“_You don’t have to do anything you don’t like. Not anymore_” Riley said barely above a whisper.

  
  
He knew that. But he liked hearing it all the same. He smiled at the image Riley and him must gave right now, two half demons snuggling during Christmas. What a day.


	10. Reconnect

Sam and Riley didn’t exactly had a lot of things like clothes or possessions. When they came back Wong and sometimes Strange were nice enough to give them what they needed. Since then, they had to use the money the Sorcerer gave them wisely and clothes weren’t high on their priorities. Still, when Riley argued that they needed to dress to impress, Sam agreed with him, if only to give him the extra confidence he needed to trust his own guts, whatever they may say to him during lunch.  
  
Finding a shop open on Christmas was a no-no so Sam called Strange early in the morning.

  
  
“_Hey daddy!_”

  
  
“_Don’t ever call me that again Wilson_” Stefan annoyed and tired voice answered (but Sam had way too much fun annoying him anyway so he knew he would do it again) “_What do you want? Don’t tell me you’re stuck somewhere because of Christmas...that would actually brighten my day_”

  
  
“_Riley and I are actually perfectly fine, thank you. How’s Wong?_”

  
  
“_Busy. Again, what do you want?_”

  
  
“_Meeting with the family, need some fresh clothes_”

  
  
“_Why do I care?_” The other man asked with barely concealed disdain.

  
  
“_Bucky and Steve will be there_”

  
  
There was silence on the other side of the phone, Sam could tell he was thinking about it _“...Umh, is that so?”_

  
  
“_Gonna help me torment them with my good look?_”

  
  
“_Finally they will let me live one day without asking about you and if you’re so dashing they take you back...”_  
  
Sam heard something on the other side of the line before royal blue smoke started pouring from the phone.  
Riley raised a single concerned eyebrow from the other side of the room.  
  
Strange himself emerged from the smoke in a simple button up white shirt and black chinos.  
He looked at the two of them.  
  
“_Murdered anyone lately?_”

  
  
“_You with the cops?_” Riley answered right back with a dramatic tilting of his head. “_Where are the clothes daddy?_”

  
  
Strange pinched the bridge of his nose” _Not you too, please_”

  
  
He opted for dealing with them as fast as he could, making clothes appear as soon as they suggested something.  
  
Strange may act annoyed by the pairing but he still liked the sound of his own voice and judge people so it really wasn’t that bad of a deal. Plus, he could lie through this teeth but Riley saw his eyes stay a bit too long than they should have on them more than once.  
  
Ultimately, an entire hour flew before Sam opted to a purple suit flocked with darker jacquard and a black turtleneck. Riley tried an oversized white and silver pull over arriving mid tight and a skinny black jean ripped at both knees. He pushed the fun by asking a Santa hat and looked so damn pleased with himself, both Sam and Stefan shared a silent but agreeing look of fond annoyance.

* * *

  
  
Sam parked in front of the not so familiar anymore home and waited, biting his lips while he looked at the car Steve and Bucky must have used to come.

  
  
“_We still don’t have to do it_”

  
  
Without looking, Sam grabbed Riley’s hand and squeezed.

  
  
“_It worked for you. I have to try_”

  
  
“_Yeah, because. I had more time to work on my memories. Even then…it’s not easy_”

  
  
Sam sighted. Riley, like a lot of people Sam gravitated to, wasn’t one to really follow the rules and as a demon, this characteristic only grew stronger which meant that as soon as he knew about how demon were made, Riley tried to know who he was made from. This resulted in Riley knowing way more than he should have and give him more time to deal with his emotions properly.  
  
When Sam’s soul got snatched to hell, Riley saw an opportunity and did what he could. Being here, like this, with his best friend was a miracle only the darkest of magic could provide.  
  
Before he could change his mind, Sam got out of the car, closing behind Riley and him. They made their way to the dark green door, which must have been painted a few months prior judging by how fresh it looked.  
  
Two knocks and they waited while the noise from inside shut down and someone came to open.

  
  
“_Oh? So you actually came_”

  
  
Sarah’s tone was hard to decipher. She did not seemed disappointed nor angry. It could have been a simple observation tainted with a bit of surprise.

  
  
“_Just like we said_” he easily said back with what he thought was the same energy.

  
  
She ached her left eyebrow before opening the door wilder.

  
  
“_Hi, nice to meet you, I’m Riley, Sam’s friend_”

  
  
Now, that got a clear suspicious glare from her but she shook his hand nonetheless before introducing herself formally.  
The door wasn’t the only thing that got freshen up, almost everything inside was different from his memories. The soft grey and brown tones had been replaced by white, black and touches of colour. In the entry it was grey but he could see that the living room had green in it. Green like the pine colour of the couch Bucky was on.  
  
He got up, walking slowly to the trio, face as neutral as he could which meant resting bitch face.  
The glance toward Riley was brief however; he definitely looked Sam from his hair still in neat locks, even if they were shorter now, to his black moccasins.

  
  
“_Looking dapper Wilson_”

  
The snarky response he was ready to throw got stuck in his throat. Luckily, that was the moment Steve and Darlene choose to come in from the kitchen.

  
“_Samuel...”_

  
“_Mother_”

  
“_Mother?_” She repeated with amusement “_Not even a kiss?_”

  
  
He executed himself and she used the opportunity to hug him. She was one head shorter than Sam but he did felt smaller than that.  
Instead of really hugging her back, he focused on keeping his hands closed, feelings the top of his fingers tingling. The memories of all the times he killed the image of his mom flooded his mind.

  
  
“_Focus on me Sam_” someone suddenly said.

  
  
He wasn’t hugging his mom anymore, all he could see was Riley’s face.

  
  
“_You’re not there_” he continued “_This is not Hell, remember? I got you man_”

  
  
“_What is going on?”_ Steve asked, coming closer, putting himself between a surprised but not hurt Darlene and Sam.

  
  
Riley intervened before Sam could actually do anything to his mother but it was only because of his first-hand experience that he knew how to recognize the signs. The body remembered even if the mind tried to forget.

  
  
“_I’m good. Just some good ol’ conditioning...You know how it is_”  
He tried to play it cool but no one was dupe, maybe because they saw his own surprise right before he spoke.

  
  
“_I do_” Bucky said, making Sam’s fake smile falter.

  
  
“_Are you going to attack us?_” Sarah asked bluntly.

  
  
No one dared to make any sound, obviously waiting for an answer they hoped would be honest. Darlene knew her son and did not doubted that if her Sam truly thought he was dangerous, he wouldn’t have come. Steve was on the same page but Sarah and Bucky were more cautious.

  
  
“_Better to keep some distance_” he admitted, still looking around the room for a sense of warmth he couldn’t find.

  
  
“_Well, maybe we can eat a little before starting the hard conversation_” Darlene proposed, already moving back to the kitchen.

  
  
Bucky followed her “_Yeah, I think I need a drink with that_”

  
  
“_Don’t take my Chardonay Bucky!_” Sarah warned loudly, her eyes still on her brother.

  
  
“_Oh, it reminds me that we brought something_”

  
  
Riley showed the two bottles, a red wine Strange told them had been made by monks and a regular whiskey. Sarah politely smiled while she disposed them both on the table and started getting glasses.

  
  
“_Sam_” Steve called, waiting until Sam turned to face him to continue, “_How have you been?”_

  
  
“_As good as I could be given the circumstances I guess_”

  
  
“_I wanted to reach out earlier but the others told me I should wait...I know you were with Strange and he gave me some news but...”_

  
  
Steve was cautious in the way he approached the conversation. There was a lot he wanted to say. Sam could see, a part of him wanted nothing more than play with him, see him squirm as an appetizer. “_Don’t cross the line_” he told himself “_It’s Steve. It’s Steve Rogers. Steve is not the enemy. You care about him_”

  
  
“_Yeah. I guess it was for the better_” he managed to let out, looking away quickly. For someone that acted unbothered, he sure was afraid of himself when it came to this man.

  
  
“_I know this isn’t ideal but I’m glad you’re here_”

  
  
Sam scoffed “_This isn’t ideal? No shit...”_

  
  
“_Sam...”_

  
  
“....”

  
  
“_Come on, we have to talk about this_” he insisted.

  
  
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

  
  
“_I can’t do this_”

  
  
He tried to turned away but a hand tried to catch his shoulder and in a few seconds, Steve was against the wall in a loud noise, two of the pictures frames felt and he had a clawed hand against his throat.  
  
Sam wanted to snap his neck right here and right now.

  
  
“_Sam!_”

  
  
Someone shouted from behind.

  
  
“_Sam, don’t_” Riley said right next to him.

  
  
All Sam could do was looking into Steve’s eyes. He wasn’t afraid but he did start to feel the lack of air.  
Far from wanting to let Sam kill him, he raised his arm slowly but with conviction and grabbed Sam’s wrists. Unfortunately for Sam, he hadn’t fed on someone for two days in an attempt to feel as close as himself as he could. Now, it meant that Steve could, albeit using his enhanced strength, move the hand far from his neck.

  
  
“_You did not fed lately_” he observed. “_You get cranky when you don’t feed_”

  
  
“_I do not_”

  
  
“_He really does. I told him to, earlier, but you know how of a coconut head he can be_” Riley added with a fond smile.

  
  
Darlene, mistaking the conversation proposed, “_There’s food in the kitchen_” as if they were all idiots.

  
  
“_It’s not this kind of food Miss D’_” Bucky answered. “_C’mon, let’s go_”. He jerked his head toward the staircase in direction of Sam’s old room.  
Sam however stubbornly did not bulge and scowled as much too the others than he did it to himself. He finally moved when Bucky groaned like a petulant child and grabbed his arm to make him follow so they disappeared upstairs.

  
  
Once in Sam surprisingly unchanged room, Bucky closed the door behind them and made sure all of Sam’s attention was on him when he put his arm right next to his head, on the door and brought his face closer to the other.

  
  
“_You may be mad at us and you have all rights to be...”_

  
  
“_Thanks man, it counts a lot for me that you allow me to feel whatever I want to feel_”

  
  
_“...but...”_ he continued without answering that “_I won’t let you hurt Steve. I’m the one that decided that we should save you no matter the consequences_”

  
  
Sam smiled, passing a finger on Bucky’s jaw, caressing the smooth skin there.

  
  
“_Oh Bucky...._” he brought their lips as close as they could be without touching and fed.

  
  
Bucky did realized that Sam was going too far and tried to escape but he couldn’t, Sam’s grip on him was too strong. All of his strength and stamina was disappearing to the point of him barely able to stand on his legs.

  
  
“_That’s the thing, White Wolf, you can’t stop me. You think you can just walk around like nothing happened? Not even a fucking sorry, man?_”  
Sam pushed Bucky back until he fell on the bed, coughing for his life. He straddled him, each hand blocking Bucky’s arms.

  
  
Against his ear he whispered “_You really don’t realize what you did but let me show you something_”

  
  
Sam kissed Bucky and opened the door to his memories. So far, the only one he did that with was Riley so he wasn’t sure it would even work at first. The energy between them allowed him to access the part of his existence right before he changed into a demon, when Belial sent souls his way for him to kill while they took the form of his friends and family.  
  
Bucky saw Sam, loosing himself each time until he was nothing more than the shadow of his former self.  
  
He felt the pain and the nothingness, the same as his, as he broke Steve’s neck again and again. The will to survive, stronger than anything, primal, just like his, when he deployed strategies after strategies to kill the souls with Bucky’s face.  
  
The silent screams when he disposed of his mom and sister day after day, unable to know what was real or not until it didn’t matter anymore.  
  
Of course he was sorry, of course he felt for Sam but despite the pain, now he was alive and wasn’t alone. He needed Sam to know.  
  
So he pushed back, tugged on the connection and showed some of his memories so Sam could see his owns demons.  
Really, what Belial did and what the Nazis did weren’t that far off. Sam could see. Deep down he already knew.  
  
It wasn’t making any of it okay and Bucky could tell by the way Sam looked at him when he took a step back, he did not forgave him.  
  
Bucky coughed several times, passing his hands over his eyes as to erase the images of both of their trauma.  
Without delay, Sam turned and left the room.  
  
Everybody was waiting for them and he saw a bit of panic when Steve asked where Bucky was.  
  
Sam ignored him but Bucky’s voice answered when Steve called for him just a second before the blond moved to check for himself.

  
  
“_I’m fine Steve, he was just hungry_”

  
  
“_I’m surprised this one’s still alive_” Riley commented before shrugging at the mortified look the others gave him.  
“_Come on, it would only be justice after all_”

  
  
“_Maybe we can save this conversation for after we ate real food and not whatever the two of them did upstairs_” Sarah cut. “_You nasty_”

  
  
She asked Steve for help and the two of them got everything ready, occasionally glancing to Sam and Riley on one side of the room while Darlene gave Bucky some water.  
  
Once at the table, Riley could not stop the compliments about the food. He seemed genuine at that. The conversation was tense however and it finally got Sarah’s last nerve so she directly questioned one of their guest.

  
  
“_So, Riley, how did you managed to end up...like that?_”

  
  
“_What do you mean?”_

  
  
“_As a demon_”

  
  
“_Oh! Well, initially I got cursed_” he explained “_I guess it must have been some locals in Afghanistan. At least, that what I could trace it to. Does nothing when you’re alive but as soon as you die, the soul is sent directly to be tortured forever_”

  
  
“_I guess that’s what happen when you go fuck some other countries_”

  
  
When Sam had said that he wanted to enlist, no one had been more opposed to it than Sarah. Seeing her brother broken by the atrocities he saw and did had not helped her consider the military as a positive or necessary force.  
  
Usually, they avoided that topic when Steve and Bucky came.

  
“_Well, I’m pretty happy about it_” Riley admitted.  
Weirdly enough, Sam never asked him that very question. He saw the enthusiasm on his face when they trained together, testing their limits and abilities. Riley preferred to be a demon and had morals more messed up that Sam’s. Luckily, he seemed quite content with following his friend’s lead.

  
“_And you?”_

  
  
Stopping the fork mid-way to his mouth, Sam glanced at his mother “_I deal with it_”

  
  
That wasn’t convincing enough for his mom who just frowned.  
  
Sam, in fact, didn’t say a lot during lunch. Riley was chatty for the two of them, avoiding the most provocative questions with maestria. No one insisted on those anyway, Sam was here, different but here, and that was what mattered.  
  
Of course Sam noticed that his mom was trying to make the moment last as long as she could. He understood but three hours seemed enough for now.

  
  
“_Hey, you wanna go?_” Riley asked in between the pie and coffee.

The others stopped talking, waiting for Sam’s answer. They were going to be disappointed, especially Steve, the man was looking like he wanted to talk to Sam alone, and unfortunately three other people wanted the exact same thing.

  
  
“_Yeah, I think I’m good_”

  
  
“_Already?_” His mom and Steve both asked like one mind.

  
  
He put a polite smile on his face that didn’t reached his eyes “_I’m gonna be honest, I don’t want to kill you, which is already more than you could ask for_” he said to his mom and sister “_You on the other hand? The jury’s still out_”

  
  
Bucky shook his head but Steve was definitely hurt, even if he knew this was a possibility. Bucky and him had talked about it a long part of the night, imagining all kind of scenarios except the most positives. These ones, they kept it to themselves.  
  
Sam and Riley made their way to the door, Darlene insisting to give them some pie to go, which Riley gladly accepted. When Sam opened the door, Steve’s loud voice boomed for the living room.

  
  
“_SAM WAIT!_”

  
  
He appeared a second later, all Captain-y is the way his face was set and shoulders squared.

  
  
“_Ooooh, finally_” Riley gleefully commented.

You would think Riley was on Sam’s side but you would be wrong. Riley was on Riley’s side and it happened that it often was the same side at Sam but he was there for the drama, that was for sure.

  
  
“_Come with us. Come home_”

  
  
“_Home?!”_ Sam tried to say but the word was stuck in his throat and threatened to strangle him from the inside.  
Riley was smiling widely next to him. He knew what Sam felt wasn’t simple and believed confronting Steve and Bucky would help him see clearer. Sam had said that he wasn’t ready to go back to his life and Riley was convinced that being around Steve would be he best thing to him.

  
  
“_If we could live with Mason, surely we can manage something for the two lovebirds_,” Bucky added, making Sam confused as hell.

  
  
Before Sam could explain that Riley and him were not exactly lovers, his friend jumped on the occasion “_Really? Me too?_”

  
  
_“I don’t think you want to be away from him, right?”_

  
  
Riley grabbed Bucky’s prosthetic hand between his and gave it a good shake.

  
  
“_Awesome_”

  
  
Of course Riley wanted in, Sam had to tell him all about the Avengers and he found the concept quite amusing “_Oh my god, we get to kill bad people and imagine we put their soul in a bank?? We will be rich Wilson!_”  
  
Yeah, Riley wasn’t following because he believed in the cause and wanted to do good, he was in because it would give him more souls in a “legal way”

He hadn’t been subtle about his goal but he also knew that Avenging had been an important part of Sam’s life prior to his death. They didn’t care about a lot of people but they cared about each other. Not caring about people had been one of the most frustrating things to Sam. He thought he knew himself but he started to think he was fake and not genuine.

Steve was waiting for Sam’s answer, the hope raw in his blue eyes. Riley had already noticed how much Sam avoided to look directly into them. In fact, Sam avoided Steve as much as he could without being rude.

Riley wondered what would happen if Sam and Steve got stuck together for a prolonged period. Either Sam would kill him or the feelings he was visibly trying to suppress or pretended wasn’t there would come to the surface.

He guessed everyone else thought Steve was the key to get their Sam back, or at least, a version of Sam that wasn’t as different as now.

“_We’ll think about it_” Sam answered, putting his coat on and walking to the door.

Oh yeah, they were kind of a package deal Riley thought with pride.

He complimented Darlene’s cooking prowess once again before following her son outside.

* * *

It took Sam a week to contact Steve Rogers.

He gave him a time and a place, instructing him to come alone. It sounded shady, he knew, but he needed to check himself for how Steve made him feel before agreeing to have him and everyone else back in his life.

“_Funny how you are unable to look that guy Steve in the eyes. Seems like you scared or something_” Riley had teased in several ways during the last week.

It wasn’t that Sam was scared, why would he be scared of Steve of all people? It simply was that he didn’t know how to feel when it came to him.

So he sat in the crowded bar, facing the door to keep an eye on who came and who left. Not that he really needed to see him to know if he was there or not but why use whatever broken link still existed between them when he didn’t have to?

He ordered a whiskey but something told him Steve would appear before he had the time to finish it.

He was right.

Steve walked straight to him, sitting at the table less nervously than Sam imagined.

Silent for a moment, he took a large gulp of his drink before getting up and walking to the restroom. Steve hesitated before following him.

“_Sam?_”

Quickly putting a finger in front of his own lips to shut him up, he used the only cabin available to put Steve and himself in.

Blue eyes went wild at the situation, his face covering in pink.

Changing their place, Sam got a large brown cloth out of his pocket and put it against the door, pushing on each corner with his thumb covered in saliva before the cloth turned into a portal.

Before Steve could ask any questions, he made them both go through it.

They appeared right under the Hollywood sign and saw the portal burned itself until there was nothing left of it.

“_What is going on?_”

“_I don’t want any witness for this conversation_”

“_And I thought I was the dramatic one. Did you brought me here to kill me?_”

Sam sighed, taking in the view before looking at Steve. The wind made his hair move a bit, he looked like the second time they met when Steve came to the VA. Already then, Sam felt that pull, an attraction he never managed to get a real hold on.

Steve was looking at him too, patiently waiting for Sam to say or do something. The moment was almost peaceful, the hundreds of lights preventing any stars in the sky to shine.

“_I still don’t know how I feel about being back_”

Steve nodded “_I get it_”

“_Do you? Did you have to participate against your will into a battle royal with a part of yourself transformed into a demon and your dead fiancé?”_

The tone was as cold as Steve expected it to be. After all, he knew this was coming the second Sam had escaped after his return.

“_I can’t pretend I know what you went through, Sam, it’s true, but you can’t expect me to be sorry I got you back_”

He almost lost his cool “_What happened to “We don’t trade life” uh? How could you just play with our soul and hope for the best?_”

“_I needed to have you back! No matter the cost!_” Steve answered his determination intact. “_This wasn’t just for me. Almost everyone came back when we finally defeated Thanos. But we lost Natasha and we…I couldn’t lose you too. We all waited for you. We looked, we searched everywhere, even on other planets, I couldn’t believe you were just dead but I still had to go to your family and.._.”

“_Is that supposed to make my metaphorical suicide better?”_

Steve closed his eyes

“_I am sorry I couldn’t find another option but, again, I’m not sorry you are here_”

Sam could have hit him right there and right now, especially with the defiant look the Captain was giving him.

“_And what do you have back exactly? A damned leech? Someone that can’t look at his own mother and not think about opening her like a peanut? Someone who wants to hurt you?_”

Sam ended so close to Steve their nose could almost touch.

“_I don’t think we can work this out with words_...”

“_On that, I agree, Steve, because the more you speak, the angrier I get_”

_“...but you can feed off me and...do your thing. Can you?_”

Sam opened his mouth aggressively but no sounds came out because what Steve suggested did make sense. But he couldn’t. He couldn’t do that with him. Steve saw the fear he was trying to conceal. It was all the confirmation he needed.

“_Unless you think it’s more useful to hang on your anger? We could just...share, Sam. Show me, and I’ll show you_”

Steve brought his hands on Sam’s forearms in a gesture he hoped was appeasing. He didn’t want to fight with him and they had the opportunity to share their experiences and feelings better than any conversations could. At least. Mason could. It was unclear to Steve if Sam could do the same things like a full demon.

“_You win. We’ll be at the compound, whatever_”

This took Steve completely by surprise. His immediate suspicion was that Sam did not want them to share memories to the point that he was willing to give Steve what he wanted to avoid it. Which was weird because Sam was not a coward by any means. Was his anger that important?

He could have pressed the issue but there was no need to risk his luck. He was sure that being around Sam would be enough to make them as close as before with enough time.

Even with Riley around.

“_Thank you, Sam_”

Sam averted his eyes and pointed to a path on his right.

“_Let’s go_”


	11. Home?

Sam had been very clear to the point of almost being rude: He will not be an Avenger again for the near future. No one really cared thought, too high on the fact that Sam Wilson was alive and among them.

Also, he may not have wanted to do any kind of “Avenging” but Riley had other plans and **really** wanted them to go on missions.

“_Come on Wilson, where’s your sense of adventure? Just because we are half-demons doesn’t mean we can’t help! You even helped them as a demon before!_”

“_Then go! I don’t have to move_” Sam complained, some of their audience trying to agree with Riley who already wanted to be called Redwings as a moniker.

“_Thinks about the buffet!”_

Oh yeah, that was when Riley kind of lost people, no one wanted to be seen as food or as currency and Riley, sometimes, had to catch himself not acting too obvious. He wanted to help...because there was a reward. And even if he wasn’t bound by demons laws the way they were before, he could still make use of a soul or two, just in case.

“_Actually, I really want to see what the bird can do_” Bucky added this time, already in gear. “_I’m sure he’ll be a great partner_”

Sam gave him a sharp look while Bucky smiled innocently. “_Are you trying to make me jealous?_” he wanted to ask, but the answer was obvious.

Since he came back, they didn’t have a single direct conversation. It was barely two inches away from a silent treatment excepted for the fact that they didn’t avoid each other.

It has been two weeks and while Riley followed none of the training or trials required to be an official Shield agent, it really hasn’t stopped people to suggest that he would be useful in the field.

Of course.

Why would they let a pyromancer just walk around without using him? Hell or Hearth, it was always about what you could bring to others. Riley and Sam knew it well and they also both perfectly had in mind that going to the Avengers would bring the question of their contribution sooner rather than later.

Riley gave a loud kiss on Sam’s cheek before joining the others on their way to one of the jet.

“_He seems to adapt pretty well_,” Steve said next to Sam. He only came back from his own mission an hour ago and hadn’t left the busy hangar since.

“_He is_”

Sam didn’t want to be cold but he didn’t know what to say to Steve so he awkwardly started to walk away.

“_Dinner in an hour and a half? My place_”

With a frown on his face, Sam turned back “_I already fed, from agent Nune yesterday morning_” he informed.

“_I mean real dinner, Sam. To catch up_”

“_Oh_”

“_Yeah_”

The frown was still in place but a noise that could mean anything escaped him and made his exit look like he was running away from Steve.

Contrary to Bucky, Steve talked to Sam when he was around. Well, more exactly, he tried to engage the conversation but Sam tended to cut it as soon as he could. Just because he came back did not mean everything was all right between them.

He has been here for two weeks now; maybe it was time for a change he told himself more than once. Maybe today would be different.

He texted Bucky, a thing he, in fact, never did before.

_Ur man invited me 4 dinner _☠️

_Who even is this?_

_Sam._

_Who?_

_Nvrmnd _ _🏿_

_Then go eat, you _ _🤡_

_I’ll leave the bones for the _ _ that u r. Bye._

_Hurt him and we may have to bring you back one more time _

Sam cut the conversation, what was he expecting from Bucky of all people? He probably knew what Steve had in mind before he left, which may have been why he wanted Riley in the team and out of the way. The snake.

Well, spending time alone with Steve couldn’t be that bad anyway. What was he risking besides awkward silences and more tip-toeing than a tap dancer?

He liked being around him so much before all of this and he was robbed of that. It did not sit well with him.

* * *

He presented himself on time and Steve opened with a stupidly tight shirt and blue jeans. He also put on some cologne so Sam had to say something about it before the image started to give an ambiguous vibe. Who was he kidding, things has been ambiguous with Steve for years now.

“_Go change. You aren’t on a date with your boyfriend and I don’t want no problems_”

“_You mean problems with **your** boyfriend?_”

“_What boyfriend? I don’t...what? You talking about Riley, Rogers?_” He asked in a mix of amusement and surprise. Was that jealousy he could hear in his voice? How the tables have turned.

“_You always are in each other pocket_”

“_Because we miss each other! But this...this isn’t like...that. Not anymore_”

Why did Sam felt the need to explain himself? He had no clue. Steve had that effect on him, to unlock things. Shit.

“_Do you want to?_”

He finally closed the door behind his guest who looked around him as if he was waiting for something bad to happen before relaxing marginally.

“_Is that why you made me come here? To talk about my love life?_”

Sensing that he was losing Sam quickly, Steve extended his hand, palm open in an obvious invitation.

It took Sam a full minute of resisting the puppy eyes but eventually, he grabbed the hand, acting extra annoyed by it.

“_What can I do to make things better between us?_”

“_Not play with my soul and make me kill people I care about?_”

Wow, Sam, so subtle, totally a good icebreaker, a great way to start dinner with a friend.

Again, Steve didn’t say he was sorry, which was so surprising to Sam because he would have thought he would be more than repentant, yet he seemed to consider than having Sam wasn’t only the better option but the only outcome possible, full stop.

“_I missed you_”

“_Yeah, and I missed you too until...you know what? I actually have to work on my pettiness. I am perpetually in this state, like when you hit your second day without sleeping,_” he explained.

Steve guided them toward the couch first, proposing him a glass of white wine to start, which Sam accepted.

The room was familiar; he went there as Mason, but felt different because of the way he perceived the word before. The colors were all just a bit off as if he could see more of them before. He had already noticed it but weirdly enough, people weren’t different. Steve wasn’t.

“_Do you sleep well?_”

“_Besides the nightmares? It’s okay_”

Steve nodded, his eyes not leaving him for a second.

“_Take a picture, it last longer_”

“_Tired of pictures, I want the real deal_” the blond answered way too easily.

Sam put his empty glass on the table “_You know, there’s a way to say things that does n’o sound like flirting_”

He didn’t mind the flirting per say, but he had imagined himself coming between Steve and Bucky as a way of retribution before. He didn’t want that. What would even be the point? So to have Steve present himself on a silver plate like that was annoying.

“_I won’t let you keep me around and..._” he sighed “…_hope. Like before_”

Steve closed his eyes slowly, a flash of pain passing on his face. He still had his glass his hand but chose, when he opened his eyes again, to put it next to Sam’s.

“_I wasn’t trying to make you hope Sam, I was trying to figure out what I wanted. I wanted you, you have to believe me but I had my head up my ass and I couldn’t see that you...maybe, wanted the same. I was a mess, I know_”

They needed to have this conversation. They had missed their shot already and now, Steve had someone. He was so troubled that his claws started to appear. He quickly closed his fists, digging the elongated nails into his palm and focused on the pain.

“_What’s for dinner? I was promised food_”

Steve clearly had something to say but he stopped himself, both of them doubted any of what was between them back then was truly over. It was evident that Steve feelings toward Sam were not uniquely of a friendly nature and even with how complicated things felt to Sam right now, they both knew his feelings were similar.

They dropped the topic for now but it was not forgotten.

Weirdly enough, it did change something however because the atmosphere wasn’t as tense now. They weren’t on the same footing as before but it was a step in the right direction. Sam even laughed, which seemed to delight Steve to no end.

His cooking wasn’t the best thing ever but he did okay and Sam wasn’t that picky of an eater nowadays.

It never was about the food anyway.

“_Well, it’s kinda late Rogers, I should go_”

“_It’s only what? Two? Besides, you are living one floor below, you could stay tonight and we can have a boy’s night!_” He proposed with enough excitement for two.

Truth to be told, Sam was enjoying himself too much to keep his good resolutions up.

“_I have to say no, I know I’ll do something stupid if I stay_”

“_Like what?_”

“_Like kiss you_” he admitted, getting up before the words were even fully out.

He didn’t need to let Steve digest the information but the blond was a fast thinker so it was already too late.

“_Would that be the worst thing in the world for you?_” He asked so softly it stopped Sam. “_I...I talked to Bucky, you know? About..._”

“_Nope. We are not going there. I had a great time Steve, I’m going to sleep in my bed_”

Steve held his hands up in surrender. He didn’t seem disappointed and even had a small smile. He knew he had toyed the line already.

Sam still decided to give him a hug and let himself forget, for a moment, how they got there exactly. It felt so right in his arms, his lips barely grazing Steve’s neck when they separated. The blond pressed his arm one time in response. He was making it so difficult for Sam to keep control and not take him like he really wanted to.

He came there hoping for clarity but he got himself in a difficult situation. He was mad at Steve, less but still, one night couldn’t change everything.

Leaving was the right decision unless he actually wanted to mess with Steve and Bucky’s relationship. What would the brunette say if he came the next morning to find them tangled in each other?

Steve tried to suggest that he told Bucky about what he felt for Sam a long time ago, but a long time ago, Sam was “dead” so how would that play out now?

The only certainty he had was that he did not want to kill Steve anymore.

He wasn’t opposed to vengeance but the real enemies weren’t Steve, Bucky or Strange, they weren’t the reason he died or got caught in the first place. He needed to remember that.

* * *

The two following weeks solidified Sam’s return as he accepted more and more to be around Steve and Bucky. Never alone at the same time but it was better than before.

Riley was easily making a place and a name for himself despite Maria and Fury’s clear mistrust. They had him a low-level clearance so he could officially go on missions under strict monitoring.

He still lived with Sam which made him, in turn, involuntarily socialize when the Fire-bird had guests. Tonight was a simple gathering with lights drinks and quickly delivered pizzas. Wong was there, with Hope, Sharon, Bucky, and Steve. It was rare to have this specific roster but an important mission was planned the next day in the afternoon.

It didn't felt like old-time but it wasn't a bad thing, Sam thought. Nothing was preventing him to find happiness here and now, he thought. He didn't need to be perfect, he could just be himself, like Riley.

He saw Steve grab Bucky and pull him against his torso just so he could kiss his neck. The affection seemed so easy and natural between them, which was surprising because otherwise, Bucky was not that much of a tactile kind of guy. They seemed complete on their own, they didn't need Sam to be whatever they wanted him to be in that dynamic.

There was a time when he thought he would have that with Riley, then, there has been a time when he believed it would be with Steve. There even were times when he tried to imagine what it would be like with Bucky.

The dreams were all he thought he could afford to pay. All of this to lose them and himself in the process.

He excused himself in the bathroom, passing water on his face in rapid succession.

_It isn't my fault_, he thought, _I missed my chance and it’s over. It’s how it should be._

The pep talk was interrupted by Riley, all smiles and booze.

”_Something’s wrong?_”

Sam would have answered by the negative, not wanting to bother him or anyone else but he felt compelled to tell the truth.

”_I just got lost in my head_” he started to admit, ”_I saw Bucky and Steve and I started to imagine what my life would have looked like if I have stopped you during that mission. If I had taken my chances with Steve or even simply..._”

”_You can't rewrite history Sam_” Riley interrupted, looking at himself in the mirror while he replaced some hair strands ”_What are you going to do about it?_”

Far from knowing the answer, Sam simply looked at him.

“_What about you? Anyone cute around here?_”

”S_am..._”

There has been a time when they aimed for a romantic future together. After the war, they thought to themselves on these nights they slept away from each other. Dreaming of a time they wouldn’t have to hide their love and who they were. It was so close.

Sam did think about it when they were still at Strange and Wong’s place, taking things back where they left them. They were both here, alive, free from everything and everyone. They didn't have to do anything but be after all, so yeah, the idea had been in his mind.

He cared about Riley so much, but it was different now. He saw it in how they talked to each other. There was love between them, but not Love.

Riley crossed his arms ”_Don't- Listen, us? It would have been good back then, but now...now it wouldn't be like we wanted_” he said, echoing Sam's thoughts. "_Can you imagine? With them in the mix?_"

”_Having to deal with one person is already a lot, about to deal with two is giving me a headache_” Sam complained about Steve and Bucky ”_Three white men? That I can’t assume_”

”_Excuse me, I’ll have you know that my grandfather was half native. I am not like these other white boys Sam, I have flavor!_”

Sam laughed openly, even if Riley and him weren't together, he still was important in his life and nothing could change that.

”_Actually, it’s good that we talk about it_” Riley continued ”_I don’t think I am ready to date_” he explained slowly in contemplation “_Right now, I am okay with hookups. So if you want to kill time..._”

Once again, Sam laughed, throwing his ex an exaggeratedly fake wink.

Riley started showing off his muscles in front of an overly impressed Samuel.

“_In the name of everything that is unholy, are they real?_”

“_As real as they can be baby. Eighty percent from my dad and forty percent from hell_”

“_Wait_” he gave a dramatic pause, mimicking intense reflection and counting on his fingers “_It only makes ninety percent!_”

Their chuckles died slowly and Sam used the opportunity to be more serious ”_I don’t know if I’m good enough for... whatever they are expecting of me. I’m in a better headspace now but, you know_”

Riley nodded, squeezing Sam’s shoulder two times ”_Feeding of therapists doesn't count_”

Sam playfully shove him away, finally opening the door to leave ”_It totally counts and it cost less money_”

Yeah, Dr. Alvarez and Dr. Bonpoint may have something to say about that by the way.

Sam had been working on himself and he was proud of where he was now, even if his methods weren’t the most academically recognized, for sure.

Seeing the affection between the two super soldiers shouldn’t hurt him, he reasoned. Somewhere, somehow, he had a place too at the table so he, with them, needed to figure it out. Steve had been more forthcoming about it, even if he hadn’t clearly said how that was supposed to work.

Besides, what about Bucky? Was he in this only for Steve's benefit? Or did he looked at Sam and wanted him too?

It felt almost scandalous to think “**Us**” as in a romantic unit. The mere thought made him smile even wider when he saw the two men talking with Sharon near the table.

“Us” he thought again, he liked the sound of it.


	12. What I got inside

The mission was bound to be a clusterfuck, everyone involved had known as much the second they looked the briefing.

”Biological weapon?” check, ”Shady foreign agency?” double-check, ”You are not supposed to be there so if you get caught, you’re alone?” perfect bingo.

The team was small, Steve, Bucky, and Riley.

It was actually Riley's first big mission, he complained about it not being a ”funny one” to Sam who rolled his eyes and continued to drink his beer.

Whoever was buying and selling had agreed to meet in Las Vegas in one of the blandest casinos. He guessed the cover place was as good as another and the place was strangely isolated. Of course, you would want somewhere you could easily monitor for who came in or out so the one casino placed on a hilltop was efficient on that front. On the flip side, the baddies wouldn’t be able to leave without being spotted too.

All in all, Sam shouldn't be worried. He was keeping an eye on Riley who was presenting his brand new suit to some agents on his way to the jet. The brightest peacock of all.

There were some ”_Oh_” and some ”_Ah_” before Sam had to call his name so he ran to his mission without being late.

He was only supposed to accompany him to the plane but when he saw Riley disappear inside, his feet carried him alongside, continuing their conversation as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

Bucky was already there, focused on his weapons and Steve joined a minute later.

No one commented on Sam’s presence until they were already in the sky. Sam just told Bucky to mind his own business instead of asking why he was there.

They started to bicker about Sam not being allowed to go with them if he wasn’t on the list of authorized agents.

“_I don’t care about your list Bonky!_”

“_You shouldn’t be there then, Fury will ask questions ans I'm not doing extra paperwork for your ass_”

“_He is right you know?_” Steve said “_about the list_”

“_As if any of you ever cared about that damn list before, please!_”

It really wasn’t that serious, it passed time and help them relax a little before the delicate mission. At least, it wasn’t supposed to take all that long, three hours tops to secure the weapon and make sure they could lock everyone tied to the operation.

* * *

The casino itself was very unremarkable and considering its emplacement, they wondered what would make someone seek fortune here instead or closer to the inner city. No hotel, no fancy installation, just an (officially) two floors casino with a gold theme and flashing lights. The only thing it had for itself was the view.

For all the jokes, Sam truly had every intention to just wait for them in the jet, especially since they were able to land really close to the building without being spotted.

The support team was prepared and ready so they didn’t need him to move a single toe.

At least, until the team arrived at the not so secret underground floor and there was no more communication.

Really, no communication was kind of a standard in their missions. It was rarer to actually be able to communicate with their support staff in the middle of their duty so Sam didn’t worry about that.

No, what annoyed Sam was the feeling of someone trying to catch his hair and pull him away reminiscing him vividly of the call he would experience as a demon.

He already knew he wouldn’t be able to teleport next to Steve or Bucky if something wrong happened to them, that ability was gone, and to be honest he thought he would feel absolutely nothing of the old contract. He was wrong obviously.

It wasn't the first time Steve or Bucky had been in danger since he changed but it was the first time he felt something. It was probably because of the close distance he theorized.

He warned the support team but knew they would be too late and he could just follow his instinct to find whoever was not doing so hot.

The way Cap’s team used to get inside was closed to Sam right now so he had to come inside either as a client or an employee. He was dressed way to casually to pass security so employee it would be.

One of the support agent was able to create a false pass within minutes but once inside, he would be on his own.

He put his hair in a low ponytail, printed the card the agent gave him and quickly made it outside to find the desired entrance.

There wasn't any security outside but he had to present himself as soon as he put a foot inside.

”_Who are you?_” the bored guard asked with disinterest.

”_Hi, hello, I’m Max. This is my first night_”

”_I haven't been warned about..._”

”_Here's my card!_” Sam enthusiastically showed him so he could get closer.

The unsuspecting man got caught in Sam’s drainage before he could fully get his hand on the card. With a kiss, Sam knew exactly how to get to the floor below. This was categorized as forbidden in the guard’s mind and he seemed to never have been there.

Sam tried not to run as to not raise any more suspicions and found itself going through a laundry room to locate an elevator. Supposedly, whoever was in bad shape was somewhere below his senses were telling him.

While the elevator did open, he couldn't use it unless he had a key. Great.

Well, fuck discretion then.

He used his claw to open the panel and force his way in. He was losing time and felt a bit nervous but he could feel that whoever was hurt was still alive so it was a good sign.

Finally, he managed to make the elevator go where he needed it to go but when it opened, Sam almost regretted it. There was someone right in front of the door and that someone lacked the lower half of their face.

An animated corpse.

Sam hit it hard on reflex and wiped his hand on his jean. Of course this mission would be shit. That's why he wasn't an Avenger anymore, that and the fact that he had been dead.

The next room must have some excellent isolation because Sam couldn’t hear anything of what was happening inside before breaking the door. Bucky was fighting a dozen zombies and now Sam could tell he was the one his senses were leading him to. The human arm was falling miserably and he was bleeding from his torso and left leg.

Some zombies were kind of slow, weak and mindless but two of them were different. Just by looking at them, you could tell feel the nastiness and cruel intelligence behind their glassy eyes. It was also hard to miss the blade they had right out of their forearm. Because Sam could still sense some living energy from them, he determined that they had been transformed while being alive by opposition to reanimated dead bodies like the others.

Sighting loudly to make his presence known, he saw Bucky smile in relief as Sam disposed of everyone. One of the nasty ones escaped deeper in the complex but he was confident he would find them later anyway.

”_Look who decided to show up. How did you find me?_”

”_Sensed that you were in mortal danger. Can’t even do one mission right without getting hurt Bucky? You’re getting sloppy_”

He did look annoyed ”_The ones with the blades pretends to be regular zombies. I got surprised, that’s all_”

”_What about the others?_”

”_We separated to cover more ground_”

Sam openly mocked him ”_Classic white boy mistake. If you see a zombie, you stick together_”

Then he came closer to inspect Bucky. This would heal but they didn't have the time to wait for that so he proposed to give Bucky a hand to accelerate his super healing.

The Soldier accepted with a suspicious look. Sam warned him that he would need to kiss him for that which suddenly made the bleeding man cough.

”_Well, I mean, if you have to.._.”

”_Shut up man_”

Giving someone energy was way more delicate as a process than taking it so, for all the confidence Sam showed, he was quite nervous too.

The way he touched Bucky’s cheek right before the kiss made the other man close his eyes and use his vibranium hand to hold Sam’s arm and steady himself.

Bucky’s lips were surprisingly soft and he didn't have to give Sam that small tongue action but he did anyway. He was here to heal him, not start anything filthy in the middle of zombified bodies.

The kiss worked just like hoped and Bucky was all healed when they separated.

Face redder than before, he thanked his friend ”_This is surprisingly useful. Thanks, Sam_”

Embarrassed, Sam helped him get on his feet instead of commenting on it ”_Let’s find the others_” he suggested, letting Bucky lead the way.

They got a hold on Riley and Steve when they started seeing partially burnt bodies around.

They heard the battle before seeing the duo but a few minutes later they finally joined the team other half.

The lab has no lights on but Riley was shining bright enough anyway. Some zombies were trying to access an isolated glass cage with two afraid scientists inside. They were taken care of quickly by Steve but did not appeared any more relieved.

Both Steve and Riley were okay and neither seemed surprised to see Sam there. Maybe he even saw a wink.

The scientists tried to get out of their containment but Steve blocked the way and started asking questions they pretended to have no answer for.

”_Maybe we should let them go and deal with the other zombies themselves_” Riley proposed.

”_I agree,_” Bucky said ”_Let’s take the data and move_”

”_You can’t do that! You..._”

”_We can do whatever the fuck we want actually but maybe if you start talking, we can make see you see the light of day again_”

Riley loved to play the bad cop, that was for sure.

It worked because they quickly started being desperate, especially when other zombies wandered into the room.

From what they said, a few hours ago their boss, a man they only ever referred to as Samus, came in to check on the project and as soon as he left, an accident happened and the weapon was released, changing everyone close enough from the virus.

”_They trapped us there, probably wanted everyone to try to kill each other!_” one scientist, a young-looking woman with giant shades, said.

”_You have to practically be in direct contact to change. Thank Jesus we made it so it couldn't be transmitted like in these stupid movies_” the second one, a small and frail-looking old man, added.

After giving all the data there was (Sam checked so he knew they weren't hiding anything), they all left only to find a bomb blocking the elevator. The number were quickly reaching zero and the scientists lost their mind, trying to run away but the door they just went through stay closed.

”_Of course there’s a bomb_” Sam commented ”_I missed bomb day_”

”_We won’t all fit behind your tiny shield Cap_” Bucky observed, looking at the two scientists with a very explicit eye blink.

”_It’s finally my time to shine_,” Riley said, flame on.

He made an arm gesture which was basically ”move away peasants” and literally punched the bomb, setting it earlier. The flames went directly to his mouth and he burped some smoke immediately after with a bow.

”_That was...I don’t want that mouth anywhere near me_”

”_I never offered James. You’re just jealous_”

Steve had that weird vaguely disgusted face that matched Bucky's and Sam just shrugged, simply happy not having to survive an explosion. He was mostly confident that he would have survived it but he wasn't **that** eager to test that theory out.

* * *

That mission had not exactly been the perfect success they aimed for but it brought familiarity. Steve tried to be subtle about how it was nice to have back up and that four was such a great team number but not in a relationship... Suddenly, the "great number" was two or three. He liked three more these days. How curious.

Sam barely blinked when he looked at him trying to be sleek.

Even Bucky mocked Steve and teased him about it, giving him a kiss when he started to pout.

”_My favorites numbers are six and nine_,” Riley commented like someone asked.

”_Ha, you had to go there uh?_” Sam answered with a chuckle ”_You just HAD to go there_”

Riley was unashamed but kept it to a minimum around the other agents. His jovial attitude faltered a bit when he remembered that he had to actually debrief.

Sam used the time to find a bed and sleep. He really should have trained his energy transferal power, felling this tired was not cute and it would leave him pretty defenseless during a fight if he had to ever heal someone else.

When they arrived back at the compound, it was the dead of the night and Sam’s body was protesting as if it had been the first time he ever exercised. He needed to relax his muscles before being able to have any kind of good sleep, the one he had on the plane left him even more tired somehow.

He knew where to head to by the time he was in the building and quickly gathered what he needed for his ”Me” time.

The swimming pool was purely for leisure purposes. Technically, anyone could access it but most agents would prefer the one near the gym for the sole fact that there was a hammam and a sauna right next to it. Also, that smaller pool was on the Avengers area, hence the lack of visitors.

Sam had nothing but a pair of flip flops, a large towel and some body wash when he hit the shower. A few minutes later, he was dripping wet and dropping his belongings in a corner.

The water was warm and the only lights were coming from the pool itself, draping the room in silver and blue reflects. He submerged his whole body and already felt better, letting a contented sight as soon as he hit the surface.

There was nothing to do but enjoy himself and let the water carry his body. He joined the center of the pool where a tube going from the bottom to the ceiling was letting the water fall in a different fashion. Shower, rain mist or cascade, you could have it all and Sam enjoyed all of them as he wanted.

He was feeling himself under the cascade when someone broke his peaceful moment.

”_Mind if I join?_”

”_Free country_” he answered, trying to keep his carefree attitude and failing miserably.

It wasn't that he was bothered by Bucky’s presence but he thought he would be alone. Well, there was no point in feeling bad about it anyway.

”_Skinny dipping? I wouldn't have taken you for the type_”

Bucky entered the pool right after so Sam had to wait to answer him.

”_I thought no one would come here so.._.”

”_I can go if you want_”

Sam stayed silent, letting Bucky enjoy the pool for a moment. It really wasn't that big so they were bound to meet eventually. Bucky was swimming with eyes closed and accidentally bumped into Sam who was lazily staying in a corner.

“_Sorry_”

“_No worries_”

“_Thank you for healing me earlier, by the way. It was taxing, right? I saw you sleep on the plane_”

Sam blinked slowly, feeling flustered by the attention “_Yeah, it’s not something I’m very good at right now_”

“_You can feed off me if you want_”

Sam chuckled, unsure of what to say. Bucky was already so close, water dripping from his forehead to his cheek and nose, then his chin.

He wanted to say no, say that he was okay but he didn't want to refuse actually, so he gave Bucky a nod and waited for him to close the distance between them. However, his brain caught up right before Bucky kissed him.

”_What’s in it for you? I mean, about, you know. The situation_”

Bucky did stop, getting back just enough so they could look at each other comfortably ”_What are you talking about Wilson?_”

”_I’m talking about you, and Steve...and me. You know_”

”_You mean the fact that my boyfriend is in love with you too?_” Bucky asked bluntly.

Through gritted teeth, Sam answered positively before explaining that he didn't understand why Bucky was entertaining Steve.

”_I mean, don't you want him for yourself?_”

”_Do you plan on taking him away from me?_”

”_No,_” Sam said honestly.

”_Do you care about me?_”

Embarrassed, he couldn't lie but didn't want to give too much either ”_I guess_”

”_Then we will make it work, sweetheart. Now, can I kiss you or what?_”

Sam was rarely this shook but his eyebrows went up and his mouth turned into a smile.

Bucky huffed but did as he said and kissed Sam, his hands traveling from his face to his arms and finally his hips.

Sam’s body reacted to the kiss that deepened quickly. Bucky kissed him with the intention of making him weak in the knee and it worked, Sam’s erection was poking right to Bucky’s own awakening.

The half demon couldn't pass on the opportunity and let his hands grab Bucky's plump ass, making him breathe harder against his lips.

Soon, Bucky’s mouth was traveling to his cheek, his ear and his neck.

”_I wanted to properly kiss you for so long_”

”_Shit, Barnes..._”

”Y_ou’re with us now, you know that?_ ”

Nice try! But being dicknotyzed was not enough to make Sam agree to that relationship, even if he was slowly going there. Maybe he was playing too much but he couldn't say yes just yet.

“_I’ll think about it_” he answered with a wide smile.

Bucky shrugged and resumed his kissing. When Sam put an end to it and decided to leave the swimming pool, he didn’t hide his erection, his perpendicular cock swinging while he pretended nothing was out of the ordinary. He knew Bucky’s eyes were on him the whole time and that he was responsible for this. Sam could admit he loved every second of it.

* * *

When Sam woke up the next morning, Riley was eating breakfast and looking at the TV. Sam sat next to him in a loose tank top and a short, feeling refreshed and ready for the day.

Riley took one look at him before smiling “_Uh oh, did you just jerk off? You have that smile on your face_”

“_Really? I didn’t_” Sam admitted, he really should have “_I am just relaxed and happy_”

Riley snorted and started teasing him about it but Sam just pretended he wasn’t glowing in any way and, instead, was just radiant because of his good night sleep. Excepted the memories offer night started to wake up his penis enough for the head to start to show up, which Riley obviously pointed out.

“_Oh, hi little Samibilly, have you gotten some action last night?_”

“_Don’t call my dick Samibilly_”

“_But he is so cute, look at it trying to escape your tiny short_”

Sam took a pillow and placed it over his awakening body part. Riley and he were comfortable around each other, maybe a bit too much but at the same time, there was a time they wanted to marry. They didn't feel the same attraction as before however and were good without returning to a romantic relationship. He felt lucky to have him back in his life and told him as such, which made Riley a bit embarrassed but visibly happy.

* * *

Opening up to Steve wasn’t an easy decision but it had to be done. He wasn’t sure how to share their experience without overstepping and seeing things they weren’t supposed to, but he had to trust himself and trust Steve about it.

Before he could find an excuse and possibly change his mind, he texted him to know where he was. Instead of answering this very simple question, Steve sent him the question back. Five minutes after answering, he was knocking on his door.

Riley opened and gave Sam a suggestive look ”_Oh well, this is Steve, Sammy. Maybe he is here to help you with your problem?_”

”_What problem?_” Steve asked, coming inside fully ready to save the day.

Riley came behind him and passed a hand on his arm ”_A problem strong arms like you could solve, or maybe that pretty little mouth?_”

Steve’s eyebrow went up, then he turned to Sam. He started to be used to Riley’s suggestive brand of humor.

”_Let’s talk in my room Steve,_” Sam said, which made Steve reconsider what Riley said and blush.

Riley winked at him and Steve followed, keeping his head far from the short Sam was wearing and was definitely an interesting practical choice. It felt weird to be in Sam’s room, even if he barely changed anything in it so it could have been anybody’s really.

Sam sat on his bed instead of the couch which made nothing to calm Steve when he joined him.

”_You were right, I was using my anger to protect myself. I need to move on from it so if your offer still stands, I can...do my thing_”

”**_YES!_**” Steve immediately said ”_I mean, yes. It still stands_”

Sam smiled, nodding to himself.

”_Just think about what you want me to know and then I’ll share with you what happened from my point of view. Is this okay?_”

”_Yeah, I’m ready_”

Sam was more nervous than he wanted Steve to know but he needed to do it for himself.

He looked deep into Steve’s eyes and with a shaky hand helped himself closer to him. When he was finally ready, he kissed Steve a first time as some sort of hello, then kissed him again, this time letting the energy flow between them but he couldn't get it right. Steve noticed.

”_Are you okay?_”

”_Sorry, could you believe you’re making me nervous?_”

With a coy smile, Steve answered,” _Maybe we can just kiss until you feel more used to it?_”

Well, Sam wasn’t against the idea, even if he let his face reflect exactly how, once again, Steve wasn't sleek. For once, he agreed and let the taller man take the lead.

There was something about simply kissing Steve that felt like a victory. There are been so many moments where Sam had wanted to kiss him, so many missed chances between them...but now, he was allowed to do it. He was allowed to feel Steve’s lips on his and his beard on his skin. He was allowed to touch Steve and be honest with him about how he felt.

**Oh.**

Sam saw and felt Steve’s distress after the first battle with Thanos and how helpless he was during the years following it. Steve had lost and lost and lost, he basically had no one close but Natasha and Natasha...disappeared.

The hope of getting everyone back hold Steve together to the point of fighting an army basically by himself.

Sam felt Steve looking for him during the battle, how panicked he was to see everyone but Sam.

He had to be out there, he had to!

But he wasn’t. He got Bucky back, Natasha was still gone and no one had an answer about Sam so Steve chose to believe he was alive somewhere.

Moments after moments where Steve missed Sam so much he started to became almost delusional and fight with Bucky. Well, Bucky itself had been back three times already so why not Sam?

Then Mason came into their life and he was disrupting his fragile equilibrium. Then Mason wasn’t just a demon suddenly, he was more, he was close, he was Sam and Steve was certain of one thing, he would get Sam back, no matter the cost.

Steve knew Sam would not approve but it matter way less than having him back. The pure certainty and the sheer force of his determination wasn't lost on Sam.

The happiness of knowing Sam was okay was enough to Steve. Even if he asked Strange everyday about him. He missed him so much, but he knew he had to be patient.

And then came Christmas at the Wilson's and Steve finally felt like he could breathe. Like he was finally touching what he hoped for so long. With Bucky and Sam, Steve was finally balanced as it should be.

It was time to Sam to show what he went through, it felt like a totally different movie, starting with his arriving in hell and having, right then, to kill someone looking exactly like his sister.

It wasn’t torture in the way he thought hell would be, it was worse.

Kill, kill, kill, again and again and again and when suddenly, there was no more Sam, there was Mason.

Mason did not care, Mason killed and played and didn't really liked the rules he still had to follow but he did it anyway. He wanted to help people, but he didn't want to help for free so he became one that could be invoked and he met two stupid human. Being a demon wasn't supposed to make him feel like this Mason often thought.

The next time Sam’s original personality was around, it was to have his ex-fiancé explain to him that it would be "killed or be killed", again! He had missed Riley so much, and he couldn’t even enjoy any of it because he was in the middle of a brawl between him and a demon claiming he was Sam.

He could feel in his bones that it was true.

Then, he was back, having killed Riley and Mason and he was furious. He really was. What he was, also, was different. Physically, this had been obvious fairly quickly, but mentally too.

In his mind, all of this shitshow was because of Strange, because of Barnes and because of Steve.

Riley may be alive now, but none of them knew this would happen so Sam was nothing but angry and lost. He had two sets of memories inside of him and nothing felt right.

He thought he was done with everything but he was wrong. There wasn't any way to escape his past, especially when Riley already knew about Steve and Bucky.

Sam was trying his hardest not to think about them but it was in vain. If it wasn't Riley’s noisy ass, it was Strange annoyed tone as he asked when Sam would contact the two. Even Wong started to mention them.

For a time, Sam believed he was better without them. He had Riley and therefore, who else would he possibly need? They didn't need him. They had each other. Ah, the jealousy. Damn, he was bitter, angry and jealous.

He was so sure to never feel anything but anger and annoyance at them, and yet...he was wrong, once again. And here he was, at the compound, because he couldn’t tell Steve a simple ”_no_”. He was ridiculous. That was it, he just felt ridiculous and he preferred when he didn't care about anything but himself.

Sam cut the connection slowly, they were back in the here and now, it wasn't long before Steve broke the silence.

”_I’m sorry Sam_”

Sam took a deep breath ”_I am sorry too. I... ok, Steve, let’s just take some time to let all of this sink..._”

He was cut by Steve kissing him. And then another kiss left Sam just completely mute.

“_Sorry, let me get one or two more and I’ll stop_”

Steve Rogers was a liar. Let it be known. By the time he was done (or, more exactly, forced to leave because Fury called him) Sam had bear burn all around his mouth and his neck. He was a mess and a half and Steve did not look sorry one bit. Well, sorry for having to leave maybe but that would be it.

Riley entered Sam’s room once Steve left with a cup of tea in his hand.

“_I see you guys are all good. Are you officially his boyfriend yet?_”

Sam threw a pillow in his general direction, still stunned “_No...but I guess we just stepped out of the simple friendship zone. I can’t complain_”

“_Damn, he really did a number on you uh?_”

Sam rolled over on his belly and made an agreeing noise. He had things to think about but he had hope in his future. Talking to Steve had gone better than hoped and he couldn’t wait to see him again.


	13. First "date"

”_So... Remember when I went swimming yesterday?_” Bucky casually started right after Fury’s departure from the room.

It took a few seconds to take Steve’s mind out of the mission debrief ”_Yeah?_”

”_Sam was there_”

”_Okay, so?_” Steve asked, suddenly a little bit more in the here and now. What was his boyfriend's point?

”_He kisses real good_” Bucky admitted. His face wanted to be as stoic as possible but he couldn't control the red of his cheeks, He feared Steve would actually change his tune about Sam now that things were becoming more tangible. It was stupid, he told himself, but he couldn't help being nervous about it. Steve had been very clear about what he wanted but the picture in Bucky’s mind concerning Sam and himself only got clearer recently.

”_He really does_” Steve agreed with a big smile. ”You know he wanted to talk this morning? Well, after we talked, I kissed him and he...let me. I mean he actively participated after but he was definitely surprised at first”

Bucky shook his head with a smile of his own ”Tell me you two actually talked. About something meaningful, Rogers. Good job about it” He showed his fist and Steve bumped it with a soft laugh.

”_We did. We shared memories_” Steve explained before changing to a more serious demeanor ”_I understand why he was as angry as he was..._"

"_But?_"

Steve licked his lips nervously "_Even with that, I believe we did the right thing_”

With a nod, Bucky agreed. It had been harder on Sam than on anyone else, he knew, but it had to be done otherwise they would have lost him forever.

Less confident, Steve added ”_I hope he understands my position too_”

”_Well, we are doing progress sweetheart. Compare this to where we were only a few weeks ago..._”

”_You’re right_”

Steve took Bucky’s hand and brought it to his lips. He was so close to the dream he had he could almost taste it.

And talking about taste...

Steve did not let go of Bucky’s hand and started walking out of the room too before he got faster, his boyfriend following without understanding until a hot mouth started nibbling at his neck in the elevator.

Bucky knew there was no competition between Sam and him, Steve loved them both and he had nothing to lose by letting Sam in. Hell, he was getting someone in the process. Soon they’ll be three and he couldn't wait but that didn't mean he did not love having Steve all to himself too.

Bucky did wonder if Sam would fit with them physically. The little he had been able to experience leaned toward a large yes but he couldn't be sure and he was growing impatient. He wanted to see what Sam looked like when someone took care of him. Did he like to be fucked? Did he like it when it was slow and long? What kind of sounds did he make in a bed he would never allow them to hear anywhere else?

All of these questions started to blur as he took in hand Steve’s member even before they were fully inside the apartment.

* * *

Steve, sometimes, had curious ideas about what he considered to be a date.

He wanted to surprise Sam and do something a little outside the box so this was why he approached the birdman early in the morning three days later.

Their schedule didn't allow them to meet each other in the meantime so Sam seemed genuinely quite happy to see Steve at his door.

”_Hey man what’s up? The mission went well?_”

”_Yeah, everything’s alright. You?_”

”_Funny how many holy knights are out there, it’s like now that I’m a demon everyone and their mommas is a holy fighter. And it’s funny because the dude’s mother really was one too!_”

”_Shit, you okay?_” Steve inquired, knowing that these powers could be fatal for Sam and Riley.

”_Yeah, I had a few scares, not gonna front, but I’m okay_”

Steve grabbed his shoulder to give it a squeeze ”_Good. Are you free this afternoon? A lot of us are here and I would like to throw a friendly competition_”

”_Smells like a disaster waiting to happen, Rogers_” Sam teased.

”_Come on, it’s gonna be fun_”

”_Uh uh. If you say so, what should I wear?_”

Steve smiled mysteriously ”_Well..._”

Okay, Sam was more than a little surprised. This wasn't a date, right? Or was it? He felt dumb to have to ask now so he decided to just roll with it.

Steve managed to assemble quite the team for some soccer. Or some version of it anyway.

”_Everything is allowed but don’t murder or hurt the players_” Fury felt the need to remember. Why was he entertaining this? Nobody knew ”_You can only directly touch the ball with your feet, so no yanking the ball with spider webs,_” His tone felt very pointed toward a certain young man who, by the look on his face, got caught.

This weird game had attracted quite the curious, doing their best to protect themselves from the inevitable mess. It was looking like a game of dodgeball within the game of soccer at this point.

Strange took pity and worked with Wong to build a barrier to protect everyone at first but had to took it down when they protested.

On one team you had Steve, Riley, Thor, Shuri, Peter, Carol, Maria, Okoye, Hope, Strange and Bruce. On the second team, Sam, Bucky, Wanda, T’Challa, Sharon, Scott, Wong, Rhodey, Nebula, M’Baku, and Val.

Fury and Pepper explained the rules for the ones unfamiliar with soccer and each team joined their half. Fury clasped his hands and smiled, he was ready to witness quite the show.

”_This will be a battle for the ages. Who will emerge victoriously? Team Cap or Team Falcon? Let us pray no one is hurt too badly during this friendly battle, we do not want blood...at least..._” Helen Cho commented.

You would have thought she had better do than this but everyone needs a break every once in a while. She was positively glowing, a tall mic in her hands and a pair of google in the other.

”_Okay, what’s the strategy boss?_” Scott asked while doing some ridiculous stretching.

Sam had been named captain on the sole ground that he knew how to actually play, which was a lot more than the others.

“_Let’s just take it easy. Peter will probably..._”

“_Let’s destroy them all!_” Nebula cut, getting some approving sounds from M’Baku, Bucky and T’Challa.

“_Oh boy, this is gonna be a mess_” Sam predicted.

And he was right. The whole bunch of them? **Dirty cheaters that liked to cheat.**

It was worth noting that the ball itself was nothing but a regular ball so when Bruce as professor Hulk got it between his large feet, everyone screamed to be careful. He shot with so much strength, that the ball just exploded.

Ball number two met its demise because Riley looked too many anime so he tried to act like the main protagonist and do a bicycle kick he accidentally (or not, according to Sam) totally flamed on. He did score, but there wasn't much of the ball left. Poor Peter got thrown inside the goals by the strength of it.

Then came Okoye, calling Nakia as soon as T’Challa got the ball, making him freeze. Maria tried to distract Sharon which ended with Sam having the ball. Now, Sam had excellent eye-body coordination, however, stupid Rogers decided to use his shirt to wipe away the imaginary sweat on his forehead which made Sam trip ridiculously at the sight of America's abs.

”_Come on Sam, you can’t fall for the oldest trick in the world_” Bucky complained while the others mocked him.

For sure, this would pursue him for a long time.

Rhodey managed to score by throwing a smoke bomb at Strange which led to a mini-tornado sending both Val and Nebula away in retaliation.

Thor sent the ball far above the field so everyone able to fly threw themselves to it. Having Carol charge you was not fun at all, especially since Sam ended on Bruce's head. Using the green man's confusion, Sam stole his energy which allowed him to take his revenge on Carol with Wanda’s help. Bruce looked at him funny for the rest of the match but he tried to ignore that. He scored by letting Nebula scream at Shuri like her life depended on it which made the teenager adopt a defensive posture by reflex instead of stopping the ball.

Riley, Hope, and Thor literally bulldozed their way to the goal and Scott had no other choice than to run for his life and out of the ball’s way.

Rhodey took his place and stopped three shots. The more he showed off, the more Thor and Riley plotted to take him down.

Trying to give Steve a taste of his own medicine, Bucky pretended to make his shoelace and exaggerated the ache of his back when Steve and Sam were both trying to make it to the ball. This led to the two men colliding against each other and laying around for the next minute, giving Wong his time to shine only to be stopped by Strange. Shuri and Okoye finished the job then, here they had their second point.

Val and Sharon had some interesting techniques that got Bruce to hit both Thor and T’Challa at the same time. The ball ended up in the goal despite Riley’s tentative to stop it. Sharon was smug as all hell and was surprisingly good at trash-talking which turned into a battle with Okoye, Maria, and Rhodey.

Wanda was trying not to use her powers but this wouldn’t stop Steve and Riley who made her throw the ball at them with her mind by annoying her, so she got a yellow card.

In the end, they decided shorten the match after ball fourth was pulverized by Carol who barely looked repentant.

Also, that fourth ball almost got Fury in the face because M’Baku had simply started to talk to Strange, confusing him so much he deflected the ball in the worst direction possible. That was a good scare.

The ultimate point was about whose team would score next so Wong thought it would be a good idea to make illusions of the ball, except, Strange made them real so it really became a war on this football terrain.

Each team claimed victory which resulted in a second ball passing so close to Fury’s face, everyone just ran away when he started asking who was the motherfucker who almost hit his face.

Sam had it on good authority that it has been a combination of Steve shooting and the ball bouncing off Bucky’s head straight to Fury that led to this barely avoided catastrophe.

“_Hey Sam, about that kiss you gave Bruce..._”

Sam felt electricity crackling behind him, maybe it was just his imagination but he didn’t want to try it.

He turned to Thor and smiled.

“_Man, come on..._”

“_Thor_” Bruce warned.

“_What? I just want to talk to the Son of Will_”

“_You’re just jealous Bruce got to kiss Sam’s luscious lips_” Riley teased, always happy to mess with his friends. He was so happy.

“_You are not helping,_” Sam told him while hitting his head with the back of his hand.

Riley laughed while avoiding Sam and Thor at the same time. He changed to a firebird and laughed with his whole avian chest.

“_Now that I think about it, you never took **MY** energy_” Thor finally said with a raised eyebrow.

Sam stayed there with his mouth open until Steve appeared in front of him “_And it won’t happen today. Let’s shower teams!_”

Steve put an arm around Sam’s shoulder and Bucky joined them possessively while everyone started to walk toward the locker rooms. They were indeed filthy but Sam hadn’t been so carefree in a minute so he thanked Steve for this.

A bit shy, Steve tried to say that this was a collective idea but Sam just shrugged.

Interrupting this moment, Bucky spanked Steve to get him to walk faster and gave a wink to Sam before the two of them disappeared inside.

”_You seem to do good for yourself,_” T’Challa said next to him. He was with Sharon and Shuri.

Sam looked at where the two men left once again ”_Yeah. I’m better now I think_”

”_Glad to have you back. Must have been weird to spend all this time with Strange_” Sharon mused.

”_Oh_” Sam smiled and started to whisper ”_This man is ...something_”

”_What do you mean, Wilson?_” Strange asked suddenly appearing in front of them, an eyebrow raised.

Sam knew better than to believe this hadn’t been intentional but he was used to the Doctor now.

”_I was about to tell them all about Dee Dee. Double D we call’em_” then looking at the others ”_Do you want to know why?_”

Strange glowed orange ”_Now now, let’s not speak his name in vain_”

”_I can’t invoke him, remember? Do you still have pubic hair left even?_”

Shuri seemed quite interested in the conversation but T’Challa started to drag her away with a big ”_Nope_”

Sharon stayed right where she was, her eyes scanning Strange with interest ”_Seems like a fun story_”

”_Oh, it is_”

”_No, it’s not_”

Sam smiled brightly and pat Strange on the shoulder. The other man grabbed his hand ”_Maybe you could go shower, Samuel, you wouldn't want to make your boyfriends wait_”

”_Wait, you’re dating Steve and Bucky?_” Sharon asked.

”_No! I mean. No. I’m not_” then because Strange looked anything but convinced ”_I’m really not. Go ask them_”

Strange finally felt like he had the upper hand and looked smug about it. Sam just rolled his eyes and finally made his way to the locker room.

They weren't boyfriends, the term had not been discussed. He wasn't...as opposed to it he has been before so...

He offered Strange and Sharon a mysterious smile before following everyone else inside.

Yeah, he wasn't opposed to that idea.

* * *

Sam went from a strict ”_no_” to an ”_I don’t know_” when it came to be an Avenger again. He wasn't sure how to reconcile his need for freedom, the way he was looking at life now and the small part of him that still wanted to help people.

One of the things that prevented him to embraced this old part of him was that he didn't want the fear of losing what was his, starting with his life. Being an Avenger was a target on himself and on people he learned once again to care about.

He knew, now, that if what he went through happened to Steve or Bucky, he would be as ruthless as them. If anyone threatened them, he would not hesitate to make sure they disappeared from this dimension.

Bucky understood that, because he would always be looking over his shoulder in case Hydra was in the corner. Steve knew that because the war took too much already and now that he got Bucky and Sam back, he would not let any alien, demon or organization took that away from him either.

Yeah, in their own ways, they were the same. Sam shouldn't fear anything. The world should fear him if they crossed him.


	14. Second date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contain explicit passages

The first official date with Bucky had started out good.

They had a drink in a pretentious bar and tried very hard not to laugh at the description of the cocktails. Sam had been more of a whiskey on the rock type of guy before, now, he craved something else.

Bucky had brought two tickets to a movie without telling Sam which one. He was enjoying hiding Sam’s eyes until they were inside the pretty empty screening room. This made Sam suspicious, what kind of movie would be empty on a Friday night?

He simply thought that Bucky had chosen a stupid movie so they could act like teenagers and be all nervous about holding hands. He was right about the soldier’s plan, however, one thing he hadn’t expected was the anthropomorphic cats and their weird movements burning his retina forever.

The movie was hypnotic in a _How is that possible_ way and he swatted Bucky’s hands away each time he attempted something. No, Sam couldn't let Bucky off the hook until they had reached the bullshiest point of the movie.

For Sam, it happened when that one cat clickity clacked his way to the point of flying away like a dandelion.

Sam had given a look of sheer incredulity to Bucky who was as ashamed as if he had made the movie himself and was sinking into his seat which each passing minute.

After that, each time something full of nonsense, or full or Taylor Swift, would pop up, Sam would extend his hand toward the screen and look at Bucky as if he was waiting for an explanation.

When the movie finally finished, Sam gathered his coat and exited the room, barely waiting for the other man.

”_What was that?_”

”_Cats?_” Bucky answered with a small voice.

”_Bucky, what the fuck? What. The. Fuck? They were all so eager to basically die. Like...what was that jolityfuckery? I hope Jason Derulo’s check was worth it. I **can not** believe you made me see that with my own two eyes_”

”_I thought it would be weird but not...this weird_”

”_He started turning and flying. To the sky_”

And if it hadn't been enough, as soon as they hit an empty alley, Sam mimicked the cat and even floated away while making a ridiculous ”_Weeee_” sound.

Okay, that actually made Bucky laugh to the point of tears and Sam had no choice but to join him.

They were back to a wall, having the time of their life and Bucky grabbed him by the collar, his smile was infectious. His eyes went from Sam’s eyes to his mouth. Sam didn't wait and kissed him eagerly.

Bucky’s hands were both warm despite the cold temperature. They hold Sam right against him as if they feared he would disappear suddenly.

”_I have an idea_” Bucky whispered against his lips. “_Let’s go home. Steve should be back early in the morning_”

There were a lot of possible implications here but Sam didn’t mind. He spent so much time being angry or being worried, it felt nice to just let things happen for once. He wanted to trust that their relationship could truly go there and not be messed up or awkward after.

He didn’t want to think about it but as Bucky started looking for his key card, Sam couldn’t help but wonder if Steve would be mad if Bucky and him had sex before the two of them. It shouldn’t matter, and it probably wouldn’t, not to Steve. Sex wasn’t a reward after all but, he still questioned himself. These messed up thoughts were all excuses he would gladly tell himself before but that won’t stop him now.

Once inside, however, the mood seemed to chill to someone less sexual but somewhat thicker. It seemed intimate.

Bucky gave him a glass of water then begun to undress until he was in a t-shirt and boxers. He had that sparkle in the eyes but he also seemed kind of beat.

“_Sleep with me tonight Sam_” he demanded.

By sleep, Sam knew he meant actual sleep, which confused him.

“_I thought.._”

“_I know. I want it too but...tonight, I just want to know what it’s like to sleep with you in my arms. Or me in yours, I’m not picky_”

_Damn_, Sam thought, Bucky really was playing it all soft and romantic. He was shocked and a bit unsure of himself but excited at the same time.

He took off his clothes too and Bucky led him to the bathroom first.

Once they were both ready, Sam was hesitant to sleep in what had been Bucky and Steve’s bed. He could smell it, almost. This place was theirs and he was intruding. He tried to not let this thought linger and laid next to Bucky who put his head on Sam’s chest, an arm thrown on his middle.

Sam started to pet his hair like it was a reflex. How can something like this seem so natural already? Bucky sighed, his breath rolling over Sam’s skin.

“_Thank you. For being here_”

Sam stayed silent but moved enough to give him a peck on the head. He was so content he felt victorious. He could just lay there with Bucky and everything would be nice and good.

It was almost foreign, feeling this relaxed in the arms of another man as himself.

They both spent two hours in and out of sleep, casually hugging, touching and kissing slowly. Bucky wasn’t as self-conscious about his scars as Sam would have thought. He could touch the vibranium arm, his shoulder, kiss his neck, Bucky would move to give him better access without any sign that it bothered him.

Tucked under Sam’s chin, Bucky felt asleep more profoundly than before. Sam heard the door open sometimes after and was suddenly very awake. It could only be Steve so all of his doubts came back full force.

There were almost no other sounds in the apartment other than Steve who directly went into the bathroom without passing by their bedroom first. Their bedroom, Bucky and his, in which Sam was laying with Steve’s boyfriend. Steve’s boyfriend who was his boyfriend now, maybe, and Steve was too, kinda, sorta…shit.

Steve had to know he was there. Even if Bucky hadn’t told him, Sam’s coat and boots were still in the living room. He felt quite ridiculous, being this nervous, but he couldn’t help it at this point.

Sam did wonder if he could escape without being noticed but forced his mind to shut up.

“_They said it was okay. They said it. Did they meant it or...?_” Sam asked himself. No. He **HAD **to trust them and not freak out. He waited, keeping it still when Steve entered the room and closed behind him.

It may have only been a single minute but it felt longer than that. Steve was standing there, looking at Sam and Bucky sleeping against him.

Finally, the tall blond moved closer and laid next Sam, making some sort of a sandwich.

Sam knew it was to reassure himself selfishly but he moved his free arm just to be able to touch Steve.

“_Sam?_”

He didn’t answer, instead, he grabbed the available muscular arm to bring it to his torso and near Bucky’s head. This prompted Steve to scoot closer but Sam tried to rearrange himself at the same time, which led to Steve crotch right against his ass.

Steve stopped breathing and Sam felt something every much alive and getting more animated against him. The Captain tried to move away ”_Sam, I’m so sorry_”

Instead of letting him get away, he kept him in place and made a small body roll, just to tease Steve and place him even closer if that was possible.

”_Don’t be_” he whispered back just a bit teasingly.

”_Don’t know if I’ll be able to sleep like that, this is distracting_”

”_Not my problem, Rogers_” he whispered back, making sure to move his ass once again so that he could make Steve breath catch.

”_I’ll remember that in due times_”

”_Shut up and sleep_” Sam ordered, way too proud of himself.

Steve said nothing but he placed his hand under Sam’s tank top, tracing his abs with a finger before moving up.

”_What are you...!!_”

Steve had just caught a nipple between his fingers and judging by Sam’s reaction, and the almost instantaneous hardening bit, he liked that. Sam caught his hand quickly, startling Bucky.

”_Sam? Steve, you’re back_” he noticed, his voice full of sleep.

Then his eyes noticed Sam’s arm over the white one going under his clothes.

”_I see you wasted no time you cheeky bastards,_” he said to both of them ”_I tried to be a gentleman but..._”

Sam had to defend himself ”_He is just trying to annoy me_”

”_And moving your butt like that was what?”_

”_Are we going to have sex right now or...?_” Bucky cut, suddenly way more awake than a minute ago.

Both Sam and Steve laughed but Sam was the first to sober up. He knew the choice was entirely his by now but he was a bit nervous. He cared and this body was not the ones he grew used to. What if he cumed something weird like acid?

”_Let’s sleep first, maybe if you look cute in the morning I’ll consider it_,” He said to Bucky. The deflection was perfect.

”_Then we’re doom_” Steve dramatically sighted. The joke earned him a pillow in the head by his boyfriend but Steve grabbed him and finally, Bucky ended up in the middle, on his back. Steve was trying to sleep but he still had a smile on his face. Bucky found that cute and soon went back to sleep.

When Sam opened his eyes in the morning, he has a perplexing moment, wondering who's back he was now looking at. He remembered the previous night and relaxed, noticing Steve’s leg in between Bucky’s, barely touching him.

This could be his new normal for real. All he had to do was embracing it..

Speaking of embracing, he kissed Bucky’s back softly two times before walking out of bed. The other two men were still sleeping so he hovered above the ground silently and opened the door.

He went to the bathroom and looked at himself. He still wasn't really used to his eyes and their gold flakes but the rest was like his good old self once he made the bladed wings disappear. Well, this body was pretty great, he had to admit. In addition, he felt lucky because if he had to stay in the same body as Mason, he did not think he would have found the strength to carry on. He could pretend to be a regular human and that was a relief in itself. It was already hard when you were different but to look **this** different? Not even human? No, that would have led him on a very different path.

Mason was a demon, proud of himself, not caring about what any human would have to say on his appearance but that was because he lives with other demons. Sam was a semi-human who tried to fit in his old life. He did not need an extra layer of dehumanization by looking even less like the Sam Wilson he always had been.

He started to undress so he could jump under the shower when someone knocked on the door.

”_Sam? Is the door open? Can we come in?_” Bucky asked, his voice betraying that he was sleeping a short moment before.

Sam frowned, what did they want? He opened nonetheless and saw a grinning Bucky and a shy looking Steve next to him. They both came inside and before Sam could properly ask what they were doing, Bucky started to take off the last of his clothes, faster than Steve.

He gawked at the view, the two men acting as if this was perfectly normal.

”_I was going to shower, you know?_”

”_We know,_” Steve said ”_That’s, uh, kind of the point_”

”_Oh, that’s how it is?_”

”_That’s how it is_” the big blond answered before turning the water on to the temperature he liked.

Three grown men could fit in the shower as long as they were actually planning on showering. Sam wasn't duped, Bucky and his ”_You missed that spot, let me help._” technique was weak as hell.

”_Ok, ok, I get it, let’s just go back to the bed already_” Sam laughed when Bucky’s careful washing of his tights kept ”accidentally” brush Sam’s cock.

They were all in the same excited state and barely dried themselves before the magnetism started being too much and they had to touch again. They did make it to the bed but that was the last of Sam’s brain cells acting up because the second they were on the mattress, Sam let go.

He let go of all his doubts and insecurities feeling safe, with Bucky and with Steve. And they were safe with him, he knew he could let himself feel everything freely without worrying about making one of them his snack. It may have been a weird thing to think about with Steve’s surprisingly thick cock in his mouth, but all this licking and sucking would have been the perfect opportunity to suck him dry quite literally.

Sam got on his four, using one hand to hold on Steve who stayed on his knees.

The blond alternated between looking at Sam, closing his eyes because of the sensation and look at Bucky who kissed Sam’s shoulders, then his back and then his ass.

”_Fuck, sweetheart, your ass is even more beautiful than what I imagined_”

Bucky traced the rim of Sam’s hole, fine dark hair was surrounding it and Bucky couldn't hold his pressing need anymore. Almost reverently, he kissed one time, two times, three even, the hot entrance before giving a tentative lick.

All of his senses were focused on Sam and his reaction. He couldn't assume the other man would like it or if he would be comfortable with it. Steve wasn't, despite loving it. Bucky knew he was quite ashamed to be on the receiving end of it and only let him perform it once, on Bucky’s anniversary. He had hope that with Sam sharing this relationship, Steve would be even freer in his desires.

Sam moaned, giving Bucky the go-to frankly spread his ass and do whatever he wanted in this instant. The licking changed into sucking his hole until Sam was relaxed enough for the hard tongue to push its way inside him. This wasn't a sensation Sam was all that familiar with but he knew this was the best rimming he ever received. The obscene noises, the view of Bucky’s face buried in Sam’s gorgeous ass and Sam’s own mouth around his cock was bringing Steve quicker to the edge than he thought. He wondered if he should be embarrassed but he anticipated so much and everything was so intense, all he could do was warn Sam so he could get away before he cummed.

”_Baby, I’m gonna..._”

He tried to back off but Sam grabbed his ass to hold him where he was and Steve put both of his hands in his own hair, a sweet insanity taking hold on, letting some profanities escape him on the same rhythm of his warm shots.

When Sam let Steve go, he let his head fall on the bed, almost between Steve’s legs, giving even more access to Bucky if it was possible. The third man was touching himself before changing position so he could pass his dick against Sam’s ass by kneeling behind him. The wetted hole was making the whole process slippery.

Sam grabbed Bucky’s balls and massaged them while Steve went behind him and started kissing his neck and touch him all over, still high on his own orgasm.

They moved so Sam could face Bucky. He started sucking his nipples just as Steve was visibly playing with the long haired man’s hole. The attention was more than what Bucky was used to. The movement of his hands went faster and harder and Sam started to mimic him.

”_Come on James_” he purred ”_want to lube my cock with your juice man? Uh? You want that?_”

”_Y-Yes...fuck yes. Don’t stop Stevie. Don’t stop!_”

Bucky’s eyes were dilated and his breath short. Steve looked almost vicious as he whispered sweet nothing in his ear while a finger was still working Bucky tight hole. Steve spat on two fingers, not wanting to stop to get the lube. Bucky felt him move inside and brush his prostate. He grabbed Sam’s head who resumed his abused of his brown and perky nipple.

After a few minutes, he started to slowly push Sam’s shoulder which could only mean that he was close. Sam scooted closer and saw Bucky try to aim for his dick but the orgasm was sending cum flying not only on Sam but also on Bucky himself and the sheets too.

Steve laughed with amazement ”_You liked that Jamie?_”

”_Fuck yeah_” Bucky answered, trying to catch his breath, his smile could be heard in his tone even.

After less than a minute, he opened his eyes to look at Sam who was still stroking himself lazily with a cocky smile.

”_Let us help with that sweetheart_”

Sam let them lay him on the bed, Steve went above, indicating a sixty-nine, his heavy dick swinging on Sam’s face a few times before he was able to catch it in his mouth. The salty taste was getting to Sam’s head deliciously. Bucky decided to clean the mess he made on San’s cock with his mouth, and Steve helped him.

As he got close, he grabbed Steve’s ass to make him move so slightly. Steve resisted at first so he was about to let go but he seemed to change his mind a bit, not totally giving access to his ass but not closing the way to it. Sam kissed the hairy balls, being careful with them as if they were the most precious thing before moving to the perineum.

He tapped on the bed two times to signal that he was getting closer. Bucky strategically rubbed his cock against Sam’s hole once again without getting in. Sam felt his body wanting and needing him inside but he was too busy to talk.

Each stroke Steve gave his cock was sending waves of pleasure that physically made Sam shivers.

”_Nnnnnn..._”

Steve moved so he could kiss Sam out of his mind. Bucky chose to finish the job with hus hand and mouth.

Sam knew the orgasm was coming but the strength of it surprised him so much, he accidentally slipped and opened his mind to Steve.

”_I Love You_”

He recoiled from them both, shocked at himself.

”_I’m sorry Steve. I didn’t mean to...”_

Steve quickly came close enough to catch his hands in his ”_Hey, it’s okay, we just connected...while you were having your orgasm_” he chuckled.

”_I didn't try to look in your mind, it just happened_”

”_Relax Sam, you learned nothing new anyway_”

Sam couldn't imagine taking this as lightly as him. This wasn't about what had transpired but the fact that he did it without Steve’s permission. He could admit he didn't have as much reservation when it came to random people but not with Steve and Bucky, that was different. He was supposed to be better now.

”_What happened?_” Bucky inquired, not sure he was correctly understanding.

”_He accidentally saw that I love him without me saying it_”

Bucky turned to Sam ”_Well this isn't brand new information_” then to Steve before he turned back to the semi demon ”_Guess it’s more about losing control of his abilities than anything else, right?_”

Sam nodded suddenly conscious of the sperm dripping from his abs to his pubis.

”_I need another shower_,” he said, getting up carefully to not make the sheets anymore dirty.

”_If this is about to become a thing, we may want to put a towel on the bed or something_” he added to lighten the mood. He knew he was freaking out a little and hoped the water would help him calm himself.

Bucky proposed that Steve and him handled the sheets, making sure that none of them interrupted Sam’s alone time.

Once Sam was out, Steve asks ”_Did I mess up?_”

”_I don’t think so. He has to trust himself more but it can be hard, you know? Just like you would have to be careful about your strength if you had sex with someone that wasn’t enhanced_”

Steve, who was looking for fresh sheets, stopped to nod. He got it.

”_That was...when you sucked him...you two are.._.”

”_Are we just not finishing our sentences now?_” Bucky mocked while perfectly hiding his blush. Steve was right, this whole thing? Out of this world.

Steve told him that he knew what he was trying to say with an eye roll. He was still a bit embarrassed.

”_Yeah I do. I could get used to it_” he answered like it was no big deal. He had a shy smile when he added ”_But that doesn't mean that two isn't just as good of a number. I don’t want you to think that when we are three, officially, we should stop connecting as pairs too_”

Steve blinked then his own smile turned half impressed half teasing ”_Look at you, giving good relationship advices.You are right, you know? It’s about getting a good balance_”

”_Exactly. Besides, he still hasn't really said that he was dating us_”

It made something in Steve's chest tighten. They were in a romantic relationship already in everything but names. In his mind, Sam was just taking his time. No matter how long he would keep some distance, Sam was getting there.

If not…

If not, then Steve would have to back off and that would be the end of it.


	15. Making it work

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's sex in this chapter

The idea that Sam may not actually want to be part of something involving ”feelings” with Bucky and him strayed in the back of  Steve’s head for a few days.

More than anything, he didn't want to act like an idiot and accidentally pressure Sam in a relationship he wasn't ready for or didn't want. At the same time, he wanted Sam to know that both Bucky and he wanted him to be a part of ”them” officially.

  
  


The week after the accident, Sam told them that he would be absent for two to three days since he planned on going with Riley to see his father.

Riley had joked then that Sam should be calling him Daddy because  they almost had been married in another lifetime. The only two that didn’t find the joke funny were Bucky and Steve. Who would have known?

It actually shook something in Bucky and i n a rare instance,  he was the one who felt more uncertain  about the whole thing  and thought about seeking reassurance from his friend s .

  
  


After finishing a training session in one of the gyms, he saw Sharon and Helen talking near the entrance of the large room.  He braced himself and  decided to go to meet them, opting for casual before reaching for the topic he had in mind.

Everything was fine actually until they mentioned Sam. Bucky’s eyes darted on the right, lost in his thoughts for a short moment.

  
  


”_Bucky. Bucky_” Helen called.

  
  


”_James!_” Sharon said louder ”_what’s the problem? You just zoned out_”

  
  


The lost man licked his lips, they seemed dry ”_Sorry, I... Actually, can I ask you two something? An advice_”

Clearly, this wasn't something that happened a lot. Helen giggled, obviously happy to provide some insight while Sharon kept a careful smile on her face.

”_Sam...Sam still hasn't really said that we...You know. With Steve. That we are together_” he tried to explain ”_Do you think that he still loves Riley? That he would get back to him? They have a history_”

  
  


Sharon turned to Helen first, waiting for her input.

  
  


”_Riley is his ex-fiance right?_”

  
  


”_Death did them apart_,” Bucky said to the doctor in a vague attempt at humor ”_which is why I wonder if he is somehow still hesitating. I know he loves Riley and it’s hard to understand if this is just a deep friendship or something else_”

  
  


Helen nodded ”_What about his feelings toward your boyfriend and you?_”

  
  


Bucky considered it ”_He is in love with Steve, that’s for sure. But for me.._.” he paused, his hands now in his pockets ”_We are friends, I guess_”

  
  


”_You guess?_” Sharon repeated with a raised eyebrow.

Bucky made a curious throaty noise, eyes lost while he was thinking. Of course she was judging him for that answer, and she was right to do so, this was a shitty answer.

”_Maybe you should start by what you are feeling toward him and build from this?_” she suggested.

  
  


”_He is...I like him_” he said ”_A lot. I like being around him, I like how he challenges me, he is funny, and smart, and he is so sexy when he is bossy, his smile..._”

  
  


”_Have you told him that?_” Helen inquired then.

  
  


Bucky felt their eyes on him and he started to blush, letting words left his mouth with astonishing assurance ”_Well, I agreed to have him with us, he has to know I don’t find him repulsive_”

Sharon looked supremely disappointed and Helen started to say something about men being unable to properly communicate.

”_Okay, OKAY! I’ll talk to him, jeez, but I stand by the fact that he should know because I took him on a date and...You really don’t have to look at me like that_”

  
  


”_You are an idiot_” Sharon concluded ”_Helen, let’s go have a smoothie_”

  
  


Sharon grabbed Helen’s hand and dragged her away.

He replayed the conversation in his mind, trying to order his thoughts on the topic. The two women may think he was being dumb but he genuinely thought Sam knew all of this and just was mildly interested or something. It did raise the question of Sam's hesitation to date them. Maybe it was his fault. Maybe Sam just wanted Steve and only Steve.

No, he couldn't just think like that, his therapist told him a few times already not to always see the glass half empty.  Getting with Steve had been a complicated process in the first place. Getting with Sam already has been just as eventful so maybe they could just have a nice conversation and be done with all the headaches.

After sending a text to know where the bird man was, he had to wait ten minutes before getting an answer.

  
  


”_W Shuri and Okoye. Back in an hour_”

  
  


Sam send a small video a few minutes later, the two women looking radiant and singing to a song Bucky didn't know.  They were on the road and clearly stuck in traffic.  Bucky smiled, sending them hello and asking Sam if he could come to find him once he was back.

Instead of an answer, Shuri video called him.

  
  


”_Hey White Wolf. Sam, stop that!_” she was trying to say, ripping her phone away from a muscular hand and laughing at the failes attempt to silence her ”_Yo, we are coming too, YES WE ARE_” She clearly repeated to Sam ”_See you later, your boyfriend...yeah yeah you are not...By the gods, you are a child, Samuel_”

  
  


Then the call ended, leaving Bucky slightly confused but also happy because he could tell Sam had been talking about him and also, he hadn't been able to see Shuri and Okoye outside of missions related moments for a while.

The hour seemed to stretch and he was getting impatient, opting for cleaning some of his favorites weapons in the meantime.

Finally, Sam texted him that they were in the lab Bruce always used.

  
  


Surprisingly, Steve and T’Challa were here as well so when Bucky entered, he immediately felt at ease even if it ruined the little heart to heart he has been counting on.

  
  


He gave Steve a quick peck that made his boyfriend blush and grin before saying hello to everyone. He finished with Sam, giving him a kiss on the cheek and a hug that Sam answered with an arm around his neck and a wink.

  
  


Of course, Shuri started teasing him ”_Look at you, when I met you, you wanted nothing more than being surrounded by goats. What happened Mister Barnes?_” she asked in mock choc.

  
  


”_Love happened_” Okoye answered, the red of her lipstick reflecting light like a disco ball. She smiled, getting closer to the Princess as if she was about to tell a secret ”_Then Love happened once more..._”

  
  


T’Challa pretended not to laugh but Steve looked like a damn fool dripping in fondness so he couldn't hold it for long.  Bucky met eyes with Sam for a second and saw raised eyebrows and surprise. He quickly cleared his throat and looked away, which did nothing to help Bucky’s internal doubts.  Maybe this meant something, maybe it did not. He already decided to have a conversation with Sam and he couldn’t be afraid. He was done being afraid.

* * *

Sam Wilson was actually living his best life.  He wished this night would never end for the simple fact that he never laughs so much in his entire life, he was sure.  He laughed so much, in fact, that he accidentally snorted and his wings appeared, nearly hitting Steve in the process.

There wasn’t anything “normal” about Okoye having to convince the god Apis to bless a particular species facing extension despite everything done to save them. A "mission" that happened a week before they had to leave Wakanda.

  
  


“_I mean, I won’t ever look at a bull the same way, I can’t_” she finished.

  
  


“_Brother,_” Shuri called then “_I heard that he also blessed the whole team. Wasn’t that when you took the weekend out with Nakia?_”

  
  


Shuri, bless her soul, knew too much.  T’Challa lost his smile so fast it made Sam grab Bucky’s shoulder from the shaking.

  
  


“_This...no...I don’t know what you talking about_”

  
  


Okoye’s face was saying everything the others needed to know. After a few years apart, the two had started to see each other again and whatever was going on then clearly was still there.

Shuri may be a grown adult, T’Challa had no intention mentioning this to her.

Sam noticed then, the worrying look on the King’s features. Was this only about the joke? He understood why being accidentally ”blessed” by a god’s gift might have been an unsettling experience. The Black Panther may have the favors of some deities, it didn't mean that some gift didn't hide a dangerous side.

  
  


“_What does that mean?_” Steve tried to ask as discreetly as possible, except they had three other people with super hearing so...

  
  


”_It means, Steven, that they fondued_” Bucky answered.

  
  


Steve made a face and T’Challa was not having it. If he could have thrown the White Wolf out of the lab... luckily, Sam changed the topic to their meeting the next day.  They were supposed to meet with several housing programs and see if one of them would be suitable for a little partenariat.

It was a project Shuri had a lot of interest in but was afraid wouldn't have the expected outcome. It wasn't just about popping up houses in the middle of nowhere and call it a day. It started getting late and they were still exchanging on the topic so Sam said his goodbye and started walking out.

He took a minute outside of the lab just to breathe, the moment left him content and peaceful. Someone opened the door, he felt, even without looking, the King behind him.

  
  


T’Challa had a moment of silence before he spoke, nervousness lace in his voice:” _May I talk to you, Samuel?_”

  
  


Sam looked at him and nodded, T’Challa requested that they go somewhere private so they went to another lab down the hallway.

The small room smelled like citrus and grapefruit, Sam took a good inhale of it before decreasing the light intensity to something that felt acceptable to the hour.

  
  


“_So, what’s going on Cat King Cole?_”

  
  


T’Challa gave him an amused smirk before taking more time to think. Finally, he said ”_It wasn't Apis that helped us, _ _ Oshun I believe, or maybe someone else entirely. I don’t know what she did to me but since that day...something’s not right” _

  
  


”_Like what?_”

  
  


Embarrassment started to take hold of the King’s face but he looked into Sam’s eyes and decided to continue ”_There’s something about my sexual cravings, things, people, that isn't me. I’m moodier and... It messes with my abilities, it makes them unstable_”

  
  


Sam understood, there was a balance in most things and you could easily change the noblest of man into nothing more than a zombie, just through sex.

He wasn't an incubus so sexual energy wasn’t his specialty per se but he could indeed be able to help. 

Well, maybe there was a point to talk about before that.

  
  


”_I don’t know how to try to help you without us being intimate_”

  
  


”_Fine, let’s be intimate then, whatever that might be_” T’Challa agreed too fast.

Oh, he was desperate, Sam thought but he had to be sure T’Challa knew what he was agreeing to because once they started, stopping before the end would not be advisable.

”_Sex, Samuel, I know you are talking about sex_”

  
  


”_Well_” Sam gave him a smile ”_let me talk to Bucky and Steve..._”

  
  


”_I would rather this not being spread around_”

  
  


Sam gave T’Challa a blank face ”_My terms or nothing_”

  
  


He, himself, wasn't sure why he wanted to tell them beforehand. He wasn't asking permission, that was for damn sure, but the idea of doing something like this with T’Challa behind their back seemed quite counterproductive with his ”newfound” morality.

Of course, he could do something here and now and kept this a secret between the two but that did not sit well with him.

  
  


”_So you are dating them_” he playfully accused.

  
  


”_Planning on it, I guess_” the half demon shrugged, trying to act nonchalant about the whole thing.

  
  


T’Challa looked genuinely happy about that and agreed to Sam talking to his futures boyfriends. He needed to do it now, however, as the Wakandans had to leave in a few hours.

After receiving a text from Sam, the couple arrived in the lab where the two other men waited.

They seemed surprise to see them both there but T’Challa quickly told them about his problem and the solution Sam may be able to provide.

The delicate nature of the situation didn't mean th ey were thrilled to know that Sam would be _fonduing_ with someone however, since Sam agreed to it, they had nothing to add about it.

  
  


”_Well, at least we’ll get an eyeful_,” Bucky joked which made Sam elbow him under Steve and T'Challa disapproving looks.

  
  


”_So, the goal is for you to open your mind to me so I can find what is meddling with your natural energy then remove it, I hope_” Sam explained while they went to his place. ”_Since you think that this is sexual in nature, I’ll have to touch you sexually. Remember that I am more used to take or give energy than...this_”

  
  


”_I trust you_”

  
  


When they stepped inside, they had the surprise to see Riley jump from the couch, wearing nothing but a scandalous gold jockstrap.

  
  


”_GUYS?!_”

  
  


”_RI’?_”

  
  


Someone else was on this couch but the group did not make one move to get closer.  Then, slowly, Sharon, topless, popped up from said couch, adjusting her skirt.  She crossed her arms over her breast with a small smile, her face a pink mess.

But Sam could smell it, this wasn't all.  A third body emerged, whipping their lips.

  
  


”_HeLlO GuYs_” Helen welcomed, voice quite shaky and her long flowery dress open.

  
  


”_I did not find the lube you talked to me about, but I..._”

  
  


M’Baku, in his fully exposed glory, looked at the newcomers ”_We need more condoms. And that lube_”

  
  


”_So that’s where you disappeared to?_” T’Challa questioned, barely able to conceal his amusement.

  
  


Riley tried to explain how they ended up here but his story didn't make a lot of sense in Sam’s opinion. After that, the other quartet asked what they were doing. When Riley started to congratulate Sam on his taste and the fact that he managed to snatched a king this time, T’Challa himself had to step in and correct him.

  
  


”_Sam is just trying to help me with a problem I have lately_”

  
  


Everyone else would have dropped the topic, it was clear as day that he did not want to talk about it, everyone but M’Baku who grew a pleased smile, knowing full well that no, he would not let this go.

  
  


”_And what kind of problem exactly can Sam help you with? Maybe we can help too, my King_”

  
  


”_Nonsense. Just go back to what you all were doing. I expect you on time to leave_”

  
  


T’Challa, with all his royal presence, turned to leave, followed by Steve, except Sam stayed right where he was, thinking intensively at M’Baku’s words.

  
  


”_Wait a minute_” he called ”_In fact, that’s an excellent idea_”

  
  


Faster than Sam ever witnessed the King moving, he grabbed Sam and brought him out of the apartment, closing behind them.

He was not keen on the idea of letting people know about his predicament so Sam explained his plan properly.

  
  


”_If they continue their orgy, I may be able to harness the sexual energy in here and use it more efficiently to help you. Otherwise, I’ll have to give you a prostate massage and I don’t think you’ll ever be able to go to brunch with me and the boys again_”

  
  


T’Challa’s mouth opened to ask if Sam was serious with the whole prostate thing and obviously, he was.  He had been ready to have sex with Sam but he hadn't thought it would be...that but then h e remembered that, just a minute ago, he got faster than he ever was able to and he couldn't let his powers go unchecked.

He needed to put a stop to it.

For Wakanda.

With a resigned sigh, he made an arm move toward the door so that they came back inside and Sam squeezed his shoulder in compassion.

Just as expected, M’Baku laughed with his whole chest at his King problems but more in a “You’re dumb” way that they had thought. M’Baku seemed to be rather familiar with Oshun, despite his clan not really worshipping her. His exact words were “_She’s like the weird auntie that keeps popping up to places she isn’t invited_”.

According to him, she could be pretty powerful, channeled properly, expect most of the time she was called by accident so ended up giving as many gifts as she brought troubles.  Once T’Challa explained his situation, it took Helen all of her willpower not to ask to run some tests. Sharon started to distract her so she wouldn't propose to go back to the lab.

  
  


It was Sam’s turn to informed everyone of what he wanted to do and how. ”_You don’t have to all do something together but it would be better if the people staying in this room participated somehow, even with themselves_”

  
  


There was some discussion but they were essentially on board with the plan, all for various reasons.

  
  


”_The energy will flow between everyone so be careful, it might be like..._”

  
  


”_An aphrodisiac?_” Riley supposed and Sam nodded.

  
  


He needed everyone to fully consent because if someone broke the flow, he wasn't sure how that would react with T’Challa’s internal messed up energy balance.  They moved to Riley’s bedroom, the most sexually charged room of the apartment for some reason. Helen, Sharon, Riley, and M’Baku were on the bed next to Sam and T’Challa, already touching each other.

Sam risked a concerned glance to Steve and Bucky while T’Challa let the other group put him in a better mood.

  
  


“_If you need anything, let us know,_” Steve said, placing a hand on his waist and giving a squeeze.

  
  


Bucky kissed his cheek and Sam felt a smile tug at his lips before grabbing him for deeper kiss to start the things. After that,  Sam needed to feel T’Challa’s energy so he warned him that he was about to kiss him.

  
  


“_We already established that y__ou have my permission to do everything you want to Samuel_” he answered with a wide smile of his own.

  
  


Sam kissed him and slowly tasted him. The energy was weird, like a cocktail with too many flavors. There was T’Challa’s, the Black Panther, close but sort of distinct, then two or three other layers.  He kissed his neck and felt a hand on his back, just above his ass. Sam opened the King’s shirt letting his hands caress his toned body.  As far as he can tell, so far everything was normal however when T’Challa squeezed his ass, he could tell which one of his various energies was trying to act up.

Carefully, he opened the other man’s jeans and grabbed the half-awake dick unceremoniously. T’Challa gasped and grabbed Sam’s neck to bring him into another kiss. It allowed Sam to be sure of what was messing with him however it still wasn’t explaining what the fifth energy was which seemed to be hiding behind the goddess.

He registered Helen moaning loudly next to them and turned his attention to her while T’Challa seemed to try to give him a hickey. And yes, with the proper dedication, hickey’s would show on his dark skin, even if it was only for a few minutes thanks to his healing.

The doctor was riding M’Baku’s face while getting her breast kissed and sucked on by Sharon. Riley was taking care of M’Baku’s cock and tights visibly focused on his task.

There were some positions changes and Sam made the energy flow faster and stronger.

  
  


“_Guys I’m gonna..._” Sharon warned Riley moving his hips between her legs closed around him.

  
  


They knew what was coming and Sam called Riley, bringing their forehead together before biting his ear lightly to connect even more to his side of the group, then called Steve and Bucky to touch them bask in their excitation.

Putting more saliva on his hand, he was stroking a moaning and shuddering T’Challa.  He placed himself behind the King lying on the side, freeing his own cock from his pants so that he could place it strategically under his muscular ass. With a lubed hand, he grabbed T’Challa’s attributes and stroked it with one hand while holding him against his body.

Sharon was first, followed closely by M’Baku.  Steve and Bucky were next and quickly moved closer to Sam, still high from the orgasm.

Finally, Helen came and Riley was next.

  
  


Sam rolled in the energy like the most bath and pushed it into T’Challa with a French kiss that made the king’s body tense for a single second before releasing his cum and the parasite energy at the same time in an explosion that almost made it look like an uncontrollable fountain.

Even M’Baku was impressed.

Riley came to face T’Challa and put a finger on the royal penis, gathering the last droplet of sperm and bringing it to his tongue.

  
  


“_Uh, Sam?_”

  
  


He felt it, then, whatever was hiding was now not only exposed but taking control and this wasn’t T’Challa’s voice that spoked then.

  
  


“_I found you,_” the voice said through T’Challa’s lips ”_Daddy is coming_”

  
  


Sam grabbed the body and tried to absorb ineffectively the demonic energy. Black smoke escaped T’Challa through his eyes before they closed, his whole body suddenly lump in Sam’s arms.

  
  


Reacting fast, Steve told everyone to get dressed then to Helen, Sharon, and M’Baku to take the king to the med bay.

Helen's professionalism took over her whole demeanor, nodding once before she left the room, M’Baku with the king on his shoulder behind her with Sharon after she told the second group to stay in contact.

  
  


”_Okoye and Shuri will kill us. What happened?_”

  
  


Sam couldn't look at Bucky, all he could think about was the voice he would recognize anywhere.

  
  


He smiled, feeling his whole body grow hotter.

  
  


”_Belial is coming_”

  
  


* * *

When they joined Sharon’s group, Okoye and Shuri were already there and they managed to contact Wong who appeared just as Sam and the others arrived in the medical area.

  
  


Sam tried to explain what happened as factually as possible.  Everyone waited for him to be done before commenting and, of course, Okoye was pissed, and rightfully so but at least, T'Challa was okay now.

Waking up a bit groggy, it took less than ten minutes for the king to feel better. He was slightly ashamed, especially since his own sister was now in the loop, but felt his inner self back to balance and for that, he thanked Sam.

Without surprise, they started to talk about a way to take down Belial. Sam said nothing. None of what they were planning would work. He knew it and Riley knew it too, which is why he mostly kept an eye on him from his side of the room. Oh, Riley could tell Sam agreed to whatever was decided without hearing a word of it. He saw that look so often, it meant trouble. Before he said anything, he took a look at Steve and saw that he had his eyes on Sam too so he trusted him to say something at one point.

When Sam left the room, Steve wasn't far behind, cztching him to propose that came to his and Bucky's place tonight.

Sam’s initial thought was to decline but one night wouldn't change anything to his own plan. Seeing Steve’s concerned and honest face made it too hard to say no so he followed them feeling the drawback to the stunt he performed earlier.  They made quick use of the bathroom at the same time, it was getting so late it was almost early in the morning.

Sam was the first in the bedroom, he sat on the far left of the bed, looking through the closest window.  Bucky came inside a few minutes after and laid behind him without a word until Steve was in the room too.

Before the blond was on the bed, Bucky said ”_Maybe we should talk about sex and boundaries. Like...with what happened, just so we are all clear_”

  
  


This took Sam kind of by surprise but he quickly told himself that it really shouldn't have.

  
  


”_What do you mean exactly?_”

  
  


”_I am not sure I am totally comfortable with the idea of you having sex with other people beside Steve and me. I know it sounds weird but...I don't know. Sorry_”

  
  


Sam turned to face him, then looked at Steve to evaluate how he might feel on the topic. Instead of seeing some kind of surprise, he sat on the bed, sighed and looked right back at him.

"_I told you to leave if you were not comfortable. I meant it_"

  
  


Steve let a heavy exhale escape him while Bucky frowned.

  
  


”_We had to help T'Challa and you were about to have sex with him regardless of me being here or not. I can put aside my feelings for something important Wilson. I just want to know if you think this is something that can happen often or not, when you'll be with us_”

  
  


That was what it was about "_You seems sure of yourself, boy_"

  
  


Steve groaned, tired of this already and not wanting Sam and Bucky to fight now "_Sam, do you want to date us or not?_"

  
  


Bucky nodded, eager to have an answer to something they turned around for too long already.

  
  


”_I do. I just can’t give you the false promise that I'll never touch anybody else, this isn't how it works for me_” he added sadly.

The other two were looking at each other, unsure of what to think about Sam’s words.

”_Listen,_ ” Sam started again, licking his lips to make them less dry, ”_I love you, I love you both. You have my heart. I can hide and lie but I want to be as honest as I can be with the two of you, otherwise, what is the point, you know? So I'm not saying that's I'll fuck everyone, just that there's a part of me that is more physicall driven than it was when I was just human_”

  
  


”_I...I love you too Sam_” Steve said tenderly, eyes wide.

  
  


Ah, yeah, Sam said it uh? Well, it was true anyway. He wasn't sure however that Steve had really taken into consideration the whole message and not just that part.

  
  


”_I’m good with that, we'll just have to learn to manage this, together_” Bucky said ”_And I agree, on the love thing. I mean. I love you too...idiot”_

  
  


”_You don’t have to say it back if..._”

  
  


”_I mean that shit_” Bucky cut and oh boy was he more nervous than Sam ever saw him.

  
  


There was a moment of silence, no one daring to move. It became clear that Bucky and Sam were waiting on Steve to know what he was thinking.

  
  


”_Like Bucky said, we need to work on this together. I know we can_"

Sam nodded, trying uselessly to fight a smile. He turned his head away but Bucky, who was closer, grabbed him to claim his mouth in a possessive way.

He recognized a ”You’re mine” kiss when he got one even if, in this case, it meant ”You’re ours”. Yeah, he was, and they were his too, he made sure to tattoo that in their skin through his kisses and touches that night.

It wasn't long before Steve bit his neck from behind and Bucky sucked him while he was on his knees. With a soft rocking of his hips, Steve’s dick alternated between going between Sam’s tights or over the crack of his generous derriere.  He was playing too damn much he thought, bringing as much saliva as he could in his mouth to spit it in his palm and grab Steve’s cock. He was coating him and jerking him off slowly, that sure brought Steve moaning level to another high.

Sam made Bucky give up his dick for a moment so they could kiss but instead, Bucky stopped go grab and tease a dark brown nipple. First with his hand all over the pec, then two fingers and finally, his mouth.

  
  


Maybe that was a bad way to put it but he could kill for the way Bucky was nursing on him. It sent shivers all over his body and made him even hornier if that was possible. Wasn't he supposed to be tired? Instead, He guided  Steve’s dick closer to his hole thanks to well calculated hips rolls. Eventually, their conjoined body rocking led to Steve’s head knocking on Sam’s entrance over and over.

  
  


Steve asked ”_You sure?_” with a deep voice that got his dick grabbed again for an answer.

  
  


Bucky understood what was going on and quickly made his way next to Steve so he could see S am get on all four, bracing himself before he said ”_I can’t catch anything now but, uh, if you want to put a condom on.._.”

  
  


”_We can’t catch anything either but, you know, whatever makes you more comfortable_” Steve patiently answered, stroking his dick lazily, trying to not look as Sam cheeks right in front of his south region.

  
  


”_Then it’s settled,_” Bucky intervened, a bit frustrated ”_would you just fuck him already? Jesus_”

  
  


”_Gimme the lube, smartass_”

  
  


While Bucky executed himself, Steve made a good work of eating Sam’s ass like there was no tomorrow until he decided to slide a finger in here.  It was stinging beautifully and the minute it took to Bucky to find was he was looking for felt like an eternity to Sam. Luckily he soon was able to generously coat both Steve’s cock and Sam’s hole in the gel.

  
  


”_You’re so hot inside baby..._”

  
  


Sam didn't know what to say to that, he just tried to get Steve to fuck him now instead of the next week. What exactly was possessing him to bottom tonight? He didn't know. But Steve and Bucky already made him do so many things he would have never thought possible, and it wasn't like he never bottomed anyway, it just wasn't his go to position when it came to penetration.

That thought was put on a halt when Steve’s large head managed to get inside. His dick was like a freaking torpedo and boy, oh boy, he kind of underestimated was it would be like.

  
  


”_SHIT! Steve, wait a second!_” he warned, bringing a hand to the other man’s hip.

  
  


Steve immediately excused himself, frozen in place, still letting a soft moan escape him then another ”_sorry_” as Bucky started kissing Sam’s buttcheeks. With a heart of gold, Steve proposed that they stopped if Sam wanted and he did push the dick out of him only to make Steve lay on his back and straddle him instead.

  
  


Sweat was covering his forehead, he tried not to look at Sthe man under him but he found Bucky’s eyes instead, an eagerness barely concealed in them. He wouldn't have needed any enhanced vision to see that look.  He decided to sit on Steve instead so he could have control over everything.  He had to get the larger tip in then out several times and Steve grabbed his tights, doing his best not to move his hips.

  
  


”_If you continue like that..._”

  
  


”_Yeah?_”

  
  


”_Sam..._” Steve pleaded, the last thread of his reason threatening to snap at any time.

  
  


”_Then cum, don’t hold it_”

  
  


Sam continued to try to get the whole dick in him but it wasn't all that easy and Steve’s eyes rolling to the back of his head weren't helping in anyway.

  
  


”_You heard him Stevie, don't hold it_” Bucky purred into his ear. He then got on his knees so he could bring his cock next to Steve’s mouth. When Steve caught it between his lips, Sam, coincidentally, sat further down than any of his previous attempts.

There was a muffled sound but Sam had done too much to let go now so he started moving and jerk off at the same time.

  
  


Steve made Bucky move so that he was basically sitting on his face in the perfect position for him to kiss Sam while getting his ass ate at the same time.

  
  


”_I’m close!_” Steve warned in between Bucky’s cheeks.

  
  


Sam felt it. He felt Steve starting to move with less rythm, taking hold of the situation. The sensation was equally painful, weird and pleasurable. The mix was bringing him to the edge too and when Steve grabbed the sheets, almost ripping them, he was ready.

  
  


Steve filled him in several strong strokes that made Sam pant and moan until he was coming too, all on Steve’s abs. He came so hard, in fact, that some of it reached Bucky who laughed, smiled and stroked himself harder even.  He found Sam so beautiful, spent, with Steve’s cock and cum still inside, it did not take long until his thick sperm spouted too. 

Bucky had to roll away from them, give some peace to his mind and body.

  
  


Sam inhaled then exhaled loudly. He took Steve’s cock in his hand, making the man underneath jerk a little as he slowly lift himself to some sort of freedom.

  
  


The sensation made them both whimper and Sam immediately left the room to go to the toilet.

He tried his hardest to make Steve’s semen leave his body but somehow, nothing came out., Steve must have shot too deep because it was only after his second shower of the night that he felt something waiting to get out of him.Too bad too men were in there with him too so he did what he had to do, which led to Bucky being more than ready for another round. Steve chastised him but Sam saw his body answer Bucky's state so when the "I'll clean you" turned into "I'll fuck you", Steve's mouth was to busy to complain. After that however,  Sam groaned about needing to sleep and walked straight to the bed.

  
  


This time, Steve was the one behind him but when he tried to hug him, he slapped his hand away ”_My hole still tingle because of you! Don’t touch me_”

  
  


Bucky laughed out loud while Steve tried a ”_But baby..._”. Sam closed his eyes so Steve could keep his puppy look to himself. He allowed the Captain's head to rest against his back and Bucky's leg touching his but that was all.

* * *

Boyfriends. Plural. Sam Wilson had boyfriends.

  
  


That’s the first thought he got in the morning while he woke up with his head on Steve’s pec and an eyeful of brown hair right in front of him.  When he lifted his upper body to better understand what is going on, he could see Steve’s face looking quite peaceful, lips almost parted.  Bucky started to stir, extending an arm in Sam general direction with a grabby motion and a displeased throaty sound.

Sam slowly grabbed his hand and brought it to his lips for a soft kiss.  Bucky turned his head to look at him through sleepy eyes.  There was a time where Bucky would never have allowed himself to relax like that, even in his sleep.

  
  


Concern washed over his features as fast as a light switch.

  
  


“_You’re staying, right? With us_”

Sam understood why he was being cautious but he had meant what he said earlier and sleeping changed none of that. He nodded, offering him a small smile.

  
  


He did not want to hide what he planned to do to stop but he knew they would not be on board with it. He knew how to get rid of Belial, but he would have to fight fire with fire and put his own humanity on the line. If he failed, there would be nothing left of the Sam Wilson they knew.

  
  


In the meantime, he decided to get up to take care of breakfast. Before he could reach the kitchen and do a quick inventory of what the two super soldiers had that was a bit fancier than protein preparations and granola bars, he felt Bucky follow him.  Two strong arms surrounded him, the Wakandan one was just as warm as the flesh one.  It took a second for Sam to relax in the embrace but gladly did it. The tension returned soon after, however, when Bucky spoke at a very low level in his ear. He probably didn't want Steve to hear this.

  
  


”_What’s the plan?_” he started as he would have asked what Sam wanted to eat ”_And before you think I’m an idiot, remember that we are, you included, in a committed relationship now. You won’t lie to your boyfriend less than twenty-four hours into the relationship, will you?_”

  
  


”_You are annoying me less than twenty four hours in this relationship, you know that?_” Sam answered, tried to be expressionless but it was hard to play that card perfectly. A part of him was pleased that Bucky saw through him.

  
  


”_Do you want me to go wake Steve up and share what I guessed you want to do, alone?_”

  
  


”_What do you want to do alone, Sam?_” Steve’s asked in turn. His voice lacked his usual warmth as well as his eyes. Sam would have appreciated his shirtless state way more in other circumstances.

  
  


He turned to face the two men, Steve was closer now and Bucky took a step back so he could be by his side, judging Sam with a raised eyebrow.

  
  


”_Please, don’t tell me you were thinking about doing something dumb like take down Belial by yourself_”

  
  


”_Why the hell not?_” he failed to keep most of the animosity at bay.

  
  


Steve wasn't joking around at all when he answered two words ”_Please, think_”

It was a careful warning, a plea to reconsider before thing couldn’t be stopped. Sam could tell, if he continued in that direction, he would have to deal with both of them way before being able to deal with the elder demon.

  
  


He saw it in Bucky’s eyes “_You said you’ll stay Sam_”. Maybe he should have taken care of Belial before getting himself too involved with them. No turning back now so he had to correct the course of this conversation while he still could.

  
  


”_You are right. I wanted to get rid of Belial myself_”

  
  


Steve shook his head in disbelief and Bucky's eyes traveled from one to the other in silence.

The blond asked to hear all about ”_This dumb plan_” and Sam had scoffed and laughed. Steve was the master of dumb plans. They all knew it and even Bucky gave him a little side-eye. Steve was not amused at all and wasn't any less annoyed than a minute before which led  to explain himself ”_I can bring him here, on this plan, and bound him to it to make him weaker but I’ll need fresh souls for that..._”

  
  


”_You mean killing people ?_” Bucky asked.

  
  


”_No matter who kills them or how they die as long as I get their souls. Ninety-nine of them exactly_” Sam gauged their reaction but he guessed they were waiting for every shoe to drop. They were right about that. ”_Then I’ll need to find one or two of these holy knights and suck their power dry as well as get my hands on their sanctified weapons..._”

By that point, Sam could practically hear the two other men call him names by the way their jaw started moving simultaneously. He wasn't done.

”_After that, I’ll need to create a portal to wherever in hell Belial is and pull him over here by force, that’s what the souls are for. I beat him on the human plane where he is weaker and kill him with a holy weapon, I absorb part of his...essence and hope that would be enough to prevent him to ever reform or change me into him_”

  
  


”_If I recall correctly..._” Steve said, just for the drama because they knew he had near-perfect memory ”_Belial created you and on the demon ranking, you were pretty low, while he was near top tier_”

  
  


”_Fuck you too Steve_”

  
  


”_What I mean is that the power difference is too high for it to work_ ”

Steve explained from A to Z how Sam’s plan would fail because of everything he knew about demons and Sam in particular. From the exhaustion of giving back souls to how toxic holy powers and weapons were to him and finishing by not knowing what eating from a high demon such as Belial would do to Sam.

What if Belial could not come to this plan by himself and needed a vessel? What would prevent him to take over Sam’s body? How would Sam ensure that he did not escape once here? That he couldn't call on allies even from this plan?

  
  


”_I’ll cancel any engagement or meeting we have today”_ Steve announced, already turning back to the bedroom, no doubt looking for his phone.

  
  


”_You don’t have to..._” Sam called only to get one death glare from Steve just as impressive as Bucky on his worst days that shut him up real quick.

  
  


It made a funny thing in Sam’s belly to be on the receiving end of that.

  
  


”_I shouldn't be aroused but man...I kind of want to lick him right now_” he admitted to Bucky in a whispering tone.

  
  


”_One time, I accidentally, fell on his precious motorcycle during a fight, he was mad as hell...this was actually the first time he fucked me outside_”

  
  


This really wasn't the time to talk about it but Sam could not help the silent question he sent Bucky which started grinning and shake his head ”_You really are just like us_”  He pushed Sam in direction of the bedroom telling him that he would join after his coffee.

  
  


Well, Sam was happy to oblige.

  
  


  
  



	16. Epilogue

_*After the battle*_

Sam was on his knees in the middle of the sunflower field they had chosen to battle Belial. When they arrived, the place was breath-taking, yellow was covering almost all of the ground, barely leaving any space to see their own feet. It contrasted a lot with the hundreds of bodies buried hastily under. It boggled Steve’s mind that they were able to find a sacrificial place like this in New Jersey. A good chunk of a town, all involved with a demonic cult, killing themselves. Sam had told them that he knew of it because he knew the demon they worshiped. He had seem kind of non-plussed about it but it may have been because he had been focused on the incoming battle only.

After an hour-long fight, they managed to wound the old demon enough for Sam to absorb the last of his essence.

His eyes were now entirely black and he wasn't responding to any external stimulation. Strange and Wong were both out so this left Wanda as the only one able to help him through magic.

”_I can’t reach inside, the wall is too strong_” she warned before taking a break, her breath was short and cut by several coughs. One surviving agent gave her some water.

Bucky and Steve were holding on each other, their injuries would need medical attention once they were done, super healing or not.

Steve looked at Riley’s lifeless body next to Sam and felt his heart tighten painfully.

To save them, Riley had to convince Sam to absorb him as he would do Belial soon after. He was going to die either way but it was still a decision that broke Sam’s heart as well as their teammates. They had grown to like Riley quite a lot and knew how important he was to Sam.

Steve decided to simply touch Sam’s tight fist, hoping that he would be able to sense it. Nothing changed so he whispered for him to come back to them, that they needed him.

Initially, Bucky had been a bit shyer to say anything but he saw Sam’s hand twitch after some of Steve’s words so he came closer too, saying anything and nothing into his ear too.

He gave Sam a quick peck, desperate to get him to snap out of it. It seemed to work so he repeated the experience with intent and even Steve who wasn’t the one kissing him felt his energy go through Bucky to their partner.

Sam’s body started to grow hotter and hotter until he felt so hot, even Steve and Bucky had to take several steps back.

Wanda quickly dressed a barrier but she got surprised when Sam seemed to explode suddenly. The force of it pushed them all away leaving nothing but fire, dust and burnt flower.

Steve screamed at the flames and tried to throw himself at them but both Bucky and Wanda’s barrier was preventing him from doing so.

The flames started to dissipates and a figure got up in the middle of them.

Sam stood, wearing nothing but a black boxer. He was different, as if someone had turned back the clock for a few years. He had no facial hair, or hair at all and his eyes were strangely human. The only indication that something happened within himself was the reddish glittering tattoo across his chest, his demonic mark. Also, his wings were now made of fire apparently.

He touched it slowly, an expression of sadness on his face as he closed his eyes before he lifted them to the gawking group in front of him.

Wanda let the barrier disappear but stayed ready as they had no way of knowing for sure if that was indeed Sam, Belial or someone else entirely.

Sam walked to Riley’s body, giving it a thoughtful look before grabbing him in his arms. He took out some blood tainted sunflower petals out of his hair and clothes with care and patience.

With a choked-up voice, he asked if they could go back home.

* * *

There were tests and examinations to determine if Sam was Sam. He has been pliant to them, indifferent almost. All he could think about was his dead best friend and having to bring him to his father.

There was a resigned look on the old man when Sam told him. He touched Sam’s arm ”He lives through you” he had said before Sam escaped as soon as possible, the guilt crushing his throat.

The whole team was there for the final goodbye and Sam just tried to keep his head above the water.

Since the battle, he hadn't slept in the same room as Steve and Bucky who tried to help and support him however they could.

They weren't thrilled to see Sam go on mission less than two weeks after Riley’s death and they felt like one of them needed to be there with him.

The first time was Bucky, then it was Steve and both of them noticed how Sam wouldn't use most of his demonic powers anymore. They missed seeing him fly but when they asked him about it, he simply answered that he did not feel like flying these days.

Wong would tell them a few days later that Sam hoped that Riley would manifest from inside like the last time. It didn't happen. It was hard to know for sure if Sam accepted it or not, when Steve brought the topic, he had a sad smile and continued to drink his tea before admitting that he felt dumb for believing he would be that lucky.

They had to push a little for Sam not to shut them out completely but it was worth it. He took his own steps to get a little help and start to move on.

Surrounding the man they loved, they would give him all the time he needed to heal.

* * *

Steve approached Sam one morning, going to his apartment around six. Nowadays, Sam woke up later than that and Steve kind of forgot, so when he opened, the still sleepy man looked less than overcome with joy. Steve knew his boyfriend was more moody now, especially when he was tired, so he didn’t let that stop him.

“_Hey Sammy, how are you today?_”

“_Why are you awake so early?_” he groaned, letting Steve inside and walking back to his bed, he fell on it with his eyes close, spread out without a care in the world.

Steve sat next to him “_We need to get ready soon if we don’t want to be late to brunch with your mother, haven’t you got my message yesterday?_”

“_What are you talking about Rogers?_” Sam asked with a lot of sleep in his voice, maybe he was even ready to fall back asleep. He extended his hand to try to reach for his phone without success.

Steve grabbed the phone to handle it to him and Sam opened one eye to look through his calls and messages. Quickly, a frown appeared on his forehead followed by a pout.

“_I forgot_” Sam explained, “_Sorry, I have trouble correctly managing my energy. I don’t think this body was made to handle…all of that . When I'm asleep, I'm **asleep**_”

“_Should we go to Strange?_”

“_No, no…I’m adjusting_”

Steve focused on Sam’s eyes, deliberately looking away “_You’re changing_”. It sounded more like an accusation that what Steve intended but they already had that conversation and Sam, despite his awesome qualities and past as a counselor, sometimes forgot to communicate correctly with his boyfriends. He was just worried for him and didn’t want Sam to handle everything by himself in silence.

He shrugged before grabbing Steve and forcing him to lay down next to him “_I’m going to be okay,man_”

“_Are you sure? I know you like to keep things to yourself_”

His boyfriend was hurt, Sam knew. “_Yes. I should go take a shower, too bad you already took yours_” he added suggestively to evade further question.

“_One can never be too clean” Steve jumped at the occasion with a quickness that left him with bright pink ears “I mean…_”

Sam chuckled, rolling out of the bed with his boyfriend’s hand in his.

When they joined Bucky, he was charging some groceries in the truck of the car. People in the parking of the compound didn’t care about them at all. Sam said hello and kissed him deeply against the car until Bucky’s hand start to get really close to his ass.

“_Well, hello to you too_”

“_Don’t get fooled, he only does this because he tries to avoid a conversation_” Steve said without any shame for exposing his boyfriend.

Bucky laughed, giving a playful bite to Sam’s neck “_Come one Birdy, you don’t want him to bring whatever is going on in front of your mom right?_”

If Steve didn’t have the idea before, he sure as hell gets it now, he should have know Bucky wouldn’t have let this go either, even if he choose a more subtle approach.

“_Besides,_” Bucky continued, “_I don’t think you ate yesterday_”

Sam gave him an annoyed look and shrugged, damn, he really wasn’t helping his case, was he? There was no need to even ask which one of them was kind enough to let him feed on them , when they were both there, he had to take from his two boyfriends, always. Bucky must be in a really good mood since he went first and tried to distract Sam with the return of the sneaky hand. This man had a specific kind of love for Sam’s ass, that was for sure. Steve tried to pout the whole time but when Sam stopped to give him his own version of the puppy eyes, he forgot he was mad for the next minute, allowing Sam to feed with more precision.

They got a great time with Sam’s family. As time passed, it was evident that Darlene took a liking in Steve and Bucky beyond Sam. Maybe it was wrong to think about, but he knew if he ever broke off with them, they would still be part of the family anyway. In fact, he spent most of his time observing the two man interact with his mom, sister his uncle and his wife. It felt right to be here and he wondered why he insisted to keep some kind of distance after everything they have been through. The counselor in him had a few hypothesis he tried his best to ignore however; he needed to come clean before his lovers’ frustration became a problem.

He started following his own advises, taking the necessary steps to deal with his body adapting to his new powers and to be more open with his boyfriends.

A few weeks later, he could feel the difference within himself, fully embracing who he was now as well as being the boyfriend he wanted to be for Bucky and Steve. It was just another morning together, one where he could take the time to look at Bucky when he woke up and tried to navigate the kitchen with his eyes mostly close. He passed his hand on Sam’s neck with a grunt that was supposed to be a hello. Sam wanted to playfully mess with him when he was like that, not out of malice, but to have an excuse to have his attention. Steve followed soon, grabbing Bucky by his waist to kiss his temple before sitting next to Sam and taking his hand to intertwine their fingers as if that was the most natural thing in the world.

He felt the warmth within him, he liked to think that it was Riley somehow, and smiled.

Sam knew they would be okay.


End file.
